A potential showdown looms as the governor says a Catholic health system taking over a public hospital must have a "public mission" and so offer procedures such as sterilization and abortion.
Several top contenders for the GOP presidential ticket have signed a National Organization for Marriage (NOM) pledge to defend legal marriage as between a man and a woman.
The billionaire president has taken a strong pro-life stand on issues such as abortion, and the press noted the absence of representatives from his own party when he signed the new proposal.
The group also called on the Toronto Catholic District School Board to pass amendments to its equity policy designed to protect Catholic teaching in the schools.
“Parliament passed judgment on that,” said Conservative Justice Minister Rob Nicholson. “The question of euthanasia was rejected within Parliament, just within the last year."
“In as far as we cannot run away from the fact that we need their aid it is absurd for those countries to be forcing the country to embrace immoral cultures."