The Italian Bishops Conference
(CEI) on Friday blasted civil unions as an "alternative" to the
traditional family.
The Italian parliament is currently examining a bill to
recognize civil unions, including same-sex ones, to fill a
legislative vacuum.
Italy is the only western European country not to have
either legalised gay marriage or recognised civil unions between
same-sex couples.
"The process underway of putting marriage and civil unions
on the same level - with the introduction of an alternative to
the family - was addressed within wider concern about the
cultural change that is crossing the West," the CEI said in a
statement at the end of its Episcopal Council.
"(In the speeches at the council, participants) expressed
awareness of the ecclesiastical mission to announce the gospel
of marriage and the family, defending the identity of its
natural figure, elements of which are mentioned in the (Italian)
Constitution".
The Constitution says that the Italian Republic
"recognises the rights of the family as a natural society
founded on marriage".
The CEI statement did not refer to "Family Day," a big
rally set to take place in Rome on Saturday and organised
Catholic groups who are in favor of traditional heterosexual
marriages and against the civil unions bill.
Many Catholic and conservative politicians are backing the
event.
The civil unions bill is opposed by most of the Italian
right and some Catholics in Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic
Party (PD) are also against it, above all the opening of the
possibility for one partner in a civil union to adopt the other
partner's biological child.
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