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Latvian Cardinal Warns "Gay" Pride Parade a Foretaste of "True Military" Attack on Nation's Values

By Peter J. Smith

RIGA, Latvia, May 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Archbishop of Riga, head of Latvia's Catholic Church, warned Christians this week that they must stand together and counter-demonstrate against the upcoming homosexual 2007 Riga Pride March in order to prevent the undermining of family values in Latvia.

The Latvian newspaper, Ritienda published the open letter by Cardinal Janis Pujats, "Defending Family Values," where the Cardinal described homosexual behaviour as "total corruption in the sexual arena" and an "unnatural form of prostitution."

"One month from now, there will once again be the issue of tolerance towards homosexuality in the context of yet another attempt to organise a Pride march on June 3," the Archbishop of Riga stated in his letter, saying that the organisers of the Pride are "essentially demanding that people be tolerant toward this moral corruption".

"They are demanding not just tolerance, but also that sexual corruption be protected by law and popularised on the basis of special programmes in schools and other organised events," the Cardinal warned.

"There would be no opportunity to object against legal events, because that would be seen as a manifestation of hatred.  That's how corruption grows into dictatorship."

Pujats called on the government to protect "the values of the traditional family against the licentiousness of homosexuals" and stop "this foreign-inspired action, in which a handful of people with questionable morals try to force the institutions of government to accept their perverse views."

"It is important to make sure that the cunning proposal from the Pride people - that 'sexual orientation' be counted among minorities so as to award it lawful status - not be included in law."

Cardinal Pujats pressed upon the need for the people to counter-demonstrate against the Pride marches in massive numbers in order to convince the Parliament not to cave into the demands of homosexuals by creating laws that "defend and propagandise" the homosexual agenda.

"That would be a true military attack against the nation's morality, religion and family values," Pujats insisted.  "That is exactly what Pride organisers are seeking to provoke by returning to their complaints year after year."

"If there are 1,000 sexually crazy people acting foolishly [at the Pride march], then the people's march in Riga should have at least 40,000 or 50,000," said the Archbishop. "That proportion would give the government and public thought enough reason to leave sexual perversion outside the law."

The Riga Archbishop and other Christian leaders in Latvia have been uniting to confront the homosexual agenda. Last month Cardinal Pujats with representatives of the Orthodox, Pentecostals and other Christian groups attended an ecumenical meeting organised by Janis Vanags, Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church on how to work together to oppose the encroaching homosexual agenda.

Currently, the new Mayor of the Latvian capital, Janis Birks, has given public backing to the 2007 Pride march in June and has said if he can provide security the march will continue.

Ever since Latvia joined the European Union, it has been under constant pressure to adopt the EU's pro-homosexual laws. Latvia's President Vike-Freiberga is a strong defender of homosexual activism in the country, and in September 2006 successfully cowed the Parliament into banning discrimination on sexual orientation; a condition of membership in the EU.

Pujats, who in the past has called the "sexual atheism" of homosexuality more dangerous than the Soviet atheism has warned that Christians "must not be passive" and that at this time in history "we cannot keep quiet."

"For all Christians whose faith is a matter of the heart, and for all others who love their families - you must be prepared to go out into the streets," the Cardinal stated. "Not to create disorder, but to offer a disciplined position in support of the government, because on this very important issue of morals, the government is on the side of Christians."

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Latvian Cardinal Warns Gay Militancy More Dangerous than Soviet Times
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/aug/05081609.html

Latvian Parliament Overwhelmingly Supports Constitutional Protection for Traditional Marriage
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/dec/05120204.html

Homosexual Activists in EU Parliament Vow to Oppose Latvian Pro-Family Measure
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/dec/05120702.html

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