A same-sex marriage contracted
overseas was recorded in the civil registry in the Tuscan town
of Grosseto Monday, a controversial move that followed a court
ruling last week authorizing the move.
The marriage of Giuseppe Chigiotti and Stefano Bucci, which
occurred in New York on December 6, 2012, was entered by the
Grosseto municipal clerk in the civil registries with a note
adding that it formalized the marriage as ordered by the courts.
That court ruling sparked a cultural and religious storm
over what could be a precedent, changing the definition of
marriage in Italy.
Last March, the municipal authorities refused the couple's
request that their marriage be formally registered, triggering
the appeal to the Civil Court of Grosseto.
Local judge Paolo Cesare Ottati upheld the couple's appeal
last week, arguing that the Italian civil code "contains no
reference to sex in relation to the requisites" for marriage and
that there is "no impediment to the registration of a marriage
contracted abroad".
Registration is not by nature "constitutive, but only
confirmative (of an act) that is already valid," he ruled.
The ruling "is a revolutionary event that deserves a
positive response from politicians," Gay Centre spokesperson
Fabrizio Marrazzo said last week.
However, the powerful Italian Bishops Conference (CEI) said
the ruling "raises serious questions".
In a statement last week, the bishops defined marriage "as
the union between a man and a woman" and said with this decision
"one of the fundamental pillars of the institution of marriage
is likely to be swept away, one that is rooted in our cultural
tradition, and is recognized and guaranteed in our
Constitution".
Gay and civil-rights activists in Italy have long been
pushing for a law granting legal recognition to same-sex
couples, but efforts have always been thwarted by Catholic and
right-wing opposition.
And advocates for gay marriage in Italy still have a tough
road ahead.
Last Thursday, Grosseto Chief Prosecutor Francesco Verusio
said he will challenge the court ruling.
"Fortunately there's a previous ruling at the supreme
Cassation Court that clearly says you can't do this. We're
preparing our brief to challenge the ruling in appeal, which
will commence as soon as possible," he said.
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