PORTLAND, Maine, Jan 10 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a revolutionary move, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland announced last Tuesday that it would support homosexual non-discrimination legislation. The announcement was the result of an agreement reached between the Maine Lesbian and Gay Political Alliance and the Catholic diocese. The diocese agreed to the proposal after it won an amendment to the proposal dropping a provision that would have forced all religious organizations that receive public funds to comply with the law.
The Portland Diocese may find itself the subject of official Church criticism in view of a 1990 Vatican document that deals with this issue. The publication on “Legislative Proposals on the Non-Discrimination of Homosexual Persons” states that “since a matter of the common good is concerned, it is inappropriate for Church authorities to endorse or remain neutral toward adverse legislation even if it grants exceptions to Church organizations and institutions. The Church has the responsibility to promote the public morality of the entire civil society on the basis of fundamental moral values, not simply to protect herself from the application of harmful laws.”
The secretary at the Chancery office may be contacted at:
[email protected]
See the write-up on the story in the Portland Press Herald.