Holy See not asking to block homophobia bill - Parolin

(ANSA) - VATICAN CITY, JUN 24 - The Holy See is not asking Italy to block a homophobia bill currently going through parliament which the Vatican has said should be tweaked because if allegedly flouts the Concordat between Rome and the Vatican, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Vatican News Thursday.
    The Vatican has said, along with conservative Italian political parties, that the bill if passed would curb freedom of expression, a charge denied by its sponsor Alessandro Zan of the centre-left Demcoratic Party (PD).
    Parolin said "in no way was it requested to block the law. We are against any attitude of gesture of intolerance or hate towards people due to their sexual orientation, and also their ethnic background and their beliefs. Our concern regards the enterpretational problems that may stem from adopting a text with vague and uncertain content, which would end up shifting to the judicial (system) the definition of what is or is not a crime".
    The Zan bill against homophobia and transphobia would set up an anti-discrimination day that private Catholic schools would be expected to take part in.
    Gay activist Zan and PD leader Enrico Letta have stressed that the bill would not crimp freedom of expression, and Catholic conservatives would still be able to state that they find homosexuality sinful.
    Premier Mario Draghi said Wednesday that Italy was a secular state and parliament was sovereign in debating laws, while House Speaker Roberto Speaker said any interference from the Vatican on the bill was unacceptable.
    Parolin said Thursday that he agreed "fully" with Draghi that the State is secular, not a confessional one, and that parliament was sovereign.
    "That is why we chose a Verbal Note (to voice concerns on the bill), which is the proper medium for dialogue in international relations". (ANSA).