Politics
Tuesday January 10, 2006
Archbishop Criticizes PM Martin for Threat to Remove Notwithstanding Clause
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
OTTAWA, Ontario, January 10, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Archbishop Brendan O’Brien, of the diocese of St. Johns, Newfoundland-Labrador, criticized Prime Minister Paul Martin for threatening to remove the notwithstanding clause from the Constitution, after previously indicating he would consider using it to protect them from performing gay ‘marriages.’
“That statement was meant as a reassurance to the churches, and it was reassuring,” said Archbishop O’Brien, in an interview with LifeSiteNews today. “Removing the clause would certainly put us in a more vulnerable position.”
In the leadership debates last night Martin said the first act of a new Liberal government would be the removal of the clause from the Constitution.
Archbishop O’Brien said churches could withdraw from witnessing civil marriages as a way of avoiding homosexual unions, if necessary.
“But even without the clause, would we be forced to perform homosexual ‘marriages’?” he said. “Would the courts force us to perform sacramental marriages [for homosexual unions]? I doubt that.”
Archbishop O’Brien was president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) from 2003-2005. He is presently a member of the CCCB’s Social Affairs Commission.
For complete LifeSiteNews coverage of PM Martin’s statement, see:
To see a transcript of last nights’ leaders debate, go to:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060109/ELXN_debate_transcr...
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Hoffman Loses Final Tally of NY-23 Race; Alleges ACORN Tampering and Fraud
- Abortion Activist Judge Hamilton Confirmed with Help of Ten Republican Senators
- CDC Reverses Gardasil Vaccine Requirement for Immigrants
- Germany Faces Economic Downturn with Plummeting Birth Rate and Aging Population
- CCHD in Archdiocese of Chicago Says it is Working to Fix Problems
- Rejection of Washington DC Marriage Referendum Challenged With Legal Suit
- Obama-Supporting Homosexual Activist to Out Sexually Involved Priests Unless they Support Gay 'Marriage
- Austrian Catholic Bishops Issue Bland Response to Govt's Homosexual Partnership Bill
- Interim Report on Catholic Sex-Abuse Says "Homosexual Identity" Not a Predictor of Sex Abuse
- Commentary on Nov 20 NewsBytes
- LSN NewsBytes - US Health Care Reform
- LSN NewsBytes - Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)
- LSN NewsBytes - Life Issues, Religion, Swine Flu, US Politics, Sarah Palin, Miscellaneous
- LSN NewsBytes - Climate Change/Global Warming
- 59 Bishops Contributed Financially to Maine Bishop's Effort to Oppose Maine Same-Sex "Marriage" Law
- Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Shower Praise on Senate Bill's Phony Abortion Compromise
Most Read this Week
- Largest U.S. Homosexual Publisher Shuts Down, Closing Major Gay Newspapers
- EWTN's Arroyo Hosts Reform CCHD Reps Who Reveal Shocking Evidence Against USCCB Anti-Poverty Arm
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Italian Mayors Order Crufixes Put in Classrooms in Revolt against European Court Ruling
- Nat'l Organization for Marriage Responds to Miss California "Sex Tape" Scandal
- Obama Evades Questioning on Stupak Amendment in FOX Interview
- French Judge Finds Hospital Guilty of "Unreasonable Obstinacy" in Saving Newborn's Life
- EU Leaders to Choose President today in Secret "Soviet Style" Meetings
- Hoffman "Unconcedes" Battle for NY-23: Recount Provides Hope for "Miracle" Victory
- Hoffman Loses Final Tally of NY-23 Race; Alleges ACORN Tampering and Fraud
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.