BORDEAUX, May 21, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On June 5, Green Party politician Noel Mamre has pledged to perform homosexual ‘weddings’ in a suburb of Bordeaux of which he is mayor. Justice Minister Dominique Perben said last month any such ceremony would be null and void.
The Catholic Archbishop of Bordeaux, Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux has issued a statement in opposition to the mayor’s plan. “If our society gives so much importance to the marriage of a man and a woman, it is not simply to take note of the formation of a couple… marriage also ensures the renewal of generations, the clarity of filial and parental ties and provides security to the adults and the children who are the fruit of that union.” He reiterated Catholic teaching that homosexuals are persons who deserve to be treated with respect as persons, but that same sex unions cannot be considered marriages.
“A child born of the union of a man and a woman needs a father and a mother. In order to structure his own personality, he needs the model of a father and a mother,” he wrote. He also pointed out the ethical problem of same sex couples and single people having children created through in vitro and other artificial techniques. He wrote that the well-being of children was more important than the desire of adults to become parents.
Archbishop Ricard’s article, which is the first of any French Catholic bishop since Mamre’s announcement a month ago, first appeared in the diocesan newspaper. About 64 percent of the French public support homosexual ‘marriage,’ despite France being commonly called a predominantly Catholic country.
Reuters coverage: https://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20040521-0223-france-homosexuals.html