Politics
Thursday January 11, 2007
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Pope: Legal Recognition of Gay Unions is “Dangerous and Counterproductive”
Adds, “Social commitment to charity can never be disassociated from the courageous announcement of the faith"
By John Jalsevac
ROME, Italy, January 11, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Earlier today Pope Benedict XVI met with Piero Marrazzo, president of the Region of Lazio, Italy; Walter Veltroni, mayor of the City of Rome; and Enrico Gasbarra, president of the Province of Rome, for the purpose of exchanging the traditional New Years greetings.
During the meeting Benedict addressed the topic of the family, saying that the "intrinsic value and authentic motivations" of marriage and the family, "need today to be better understood. To this end, the Church's pastoral commitment is great and must grow further.”
Along the same line the pope told his visitors that it is necessary that policies are developed that encourage healthy families and marriages.
"However," the pope added, "projects that aim to attribute to other forms of union inappropriate legal recognition appear dangerous and counterproductive.” Benedict said such unions, and the legal recognition of them, ends up "weakening and destabilizing the legitimate family based on marriage."
The Pope’s remarks were evidently aimed at the current Italian government’s push towards the legal recognition of homosexual unions, and the relationships of heterosexual cohabitating couples.
In related news, during yesterday’s General Audience Pope Benedict encouraged Christians to continue to courageously proclaim the faith despite mounting persecutions.
“Social commitment to charity can never be disassociated from the courageous announcement of the faith," said Benedict. "The cross remains central in the life of the Church as well as in our private lives. In the history of the Church, passion and persecution will never be lacking."
"In our own lives too, the cross, which will never be lacking, becomes a blessing," he concluded. "And accepting the cross, knowing that is [sic] it is and becomes a blessing, we learn the joy of being Christian, even in moments of difficulty."
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Vatican Says Italian Government Wants to "Eradicate" Traditional Family
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/dec/06121102.html
New Italian Government in Clash With Vatican over Homosexual Civil Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06052409.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Fr. Neuhaus Passed Away This Morning
- Spanish Judge Convicted of "Homophobia" for Not Approving Adoption by Lesbian Partner
- Canadian Polygamy Law Faces Challenge as Charges Laid against Bountiful Cult Leaders
- 23-Week Old British Premie Spared Abortion, Goes Home with Family
- Co-Creator of the Pill Laments Resulting Demographic "Horror Scenario"
- Doctors Who Refuse Assisted Suicide “Genuinely Wicked” says UK Bioethics “Philosopher Queen”
- President Bush Urges Republicans to Defend Culture of Life
- Terri Schiavo’s Brother Responds after Obama Appoints Lawyer Who Helped Kill Terri to High Position
- By the Numbers: The Ten Most Popular LifeSiteNews.com Stories of 2008
- Doctor of Dogmatic Theology and Ob/Gyn Condemn Early Induction Abortions at Catholic Hospital in London Ontario
- Medical Expert Says that Contraceptive Pill is Causing Global Rise in Male Infertility
- Carleton University Pro-Life Group to Host Silent No More Campaign after Two Years of Opposition from Student Association
- Jacqueline Kasun, Pro-life and Anti-Population Control Activist and Author, Passes Away
- Greek Bishop Sues Homosexualist Group for Defamation
- Top 10 Pro-Abortion Moments of 2008
- Pro-Life Club Resurrected At Canadian Christian College
Most Read this Week
- Vatican Newspaper Publishes Article Detailing Birth Control Pill as Cause of Abortion and Cancer
- Obama Selects Yet another Pro-Abortion "Catholic" for Leading Office
- Abortion Group Ipas Defends Abortion Targeting Unborn Girls
- NBC Boots Top Conservative Pundit Ann Coulter from Today Show, Quickly Rebooks Following Uproar
- Medical Expert Says that Contraceptive Pill is Causing Global Rise in Male Infertility
- Mother Refuses All Further "Parental" Visits with Daughter by Former Lesbian Partner as Trial Looms
- New Jersey Rules against Christian Group that Declined to Host Lesbian Civil Union Ceremony
- Outspokenly Orthodox, Pro-life Archbishop Takes Over in Vancouver Diocese
- Kissinger on Obama: "The Reception of Him is So Extraordinary Around The World ... a New World Order Can Be Created"
- New Survey Finds Only 9% of Americans Support Unrestricted Abortion
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.