OTTAWA, February 1, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In his capacity as the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, St. John’s Archbishop Brendan O’Brien has written Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe and NDP Leader Jack Layton.
The letters, sent yesterday, state the opposition of the Catholic Church to the government’s same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation.
“The Roman and Eastern Catholic Bishops of Canada stand united in their opposition to legislation that would redefine marriage in such a way that it is no longer recognized as the unique, essential and fundamental relationship of a man and a woman,” say the letters. “As the spiritual leaders of Canada’s 13 million Catholics, together with millions of other Canadians of different faith traditions and of no religious affiliation, we call on the Government of Canada and all political parties to implement legislation that will recognize, protect and reaffirm the definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman,” wrote the Archbishop.
The letter also calls on the party leaders to allow a free vote on the matter for their MPs and demands that the Prime Minister allow a free vote for Cabinet ministers so that they may “exercise their fundamental freedom of conscience and religion.”
Concluding, the letter to Paul Martin asks the Prime Minister to “repudiate the recent remarks as reported to have been made by the Honourable Mr. Pierre Pettigrew, Minister for Foreign Affairs, that Churches should not be part of the debate on proposals to redefine marriage.”