OTTAWA, August 13, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Prime Minister Jean Chretien responded yesterday to rumours that the government may alter the reference presented to the Supreme Court on homosexual ‘marriage’ to consider the possibility of registered same-sex civil unions rather than ‘marriage.’ “[The existing reference] is the policy of the government, and it will be a free vote,” he told reporters. The Prime Minister characterized the pastoral concern of a bishop’s for his eternal soul as “attacks”. “I’ve been attacked by many people in my life – it will not be the first time,” he said in response to questions about Bishop Fred Henry’s warning to Chretien that he is risking his eternal salvation.
Rather than acting with integrity and acknowledging a critical disagreement with the Catholic religion and thus his departure from that faith community, Chretien insisted on having it both ways – flouting Church teaching but continuing to claim to be Catholic. “I’m a Catholic, and I’m praying. But I am the Prime Minister of Canada. When I’m Prime Minister of Canada, I’m acting as the person responsible for the nation. The problem of my religion, I deal with it in other circumstances,” he said. See the National Post coverage: https://www.nationalpost.com/utilities/story.html?id=CCF4042C-6A1D-4AEE-BEDB-92CD07CB384F