Catholic Bishops in the United Kingdom Attack Plan to Allow Churches to Perform Gay Weddings

Catholic Bishops in the United Kingdom Attack Plan to Allow Churches to Perform Gay Weddings The Catholic Church in England and Wales has unequivocally condemned the Government's plans to allow gay weddings in church. Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark has really torn into the Coalition on this one, even though Catholic churches wouldn't be forced to hold gay weddings - or allowed to do so by the bishops. Here's what the Archbishop said in a statement:

No authority - civil or religious - has the power to modify the fundamental nature of marriage. The Equality Act was amended to permit civil partnerships on religious premises, which unhelpfully blurs the distinction previously upheld by parliament and the courts between marriage and civil partnerships.

A consenting minister is perfectly free to hold a religious ceremony either before or after a civil partnership. That is a matter of religious freedom, but it requires no legislation by the state. We do not believe it is either necessary or desirable to allow the registration of civil partnerships on religious premises. These will not take place in Catholic churches.