gay marriage ruling debasing, says church

Source: SABC News

February 1, 2006: The Catholic Bishops Conference of Southern Africa (CBCSA) says while the Constitutional Court's judgment on marriage could be true to the Constitution, it flouts the traditional customs, religious beliefs and moral sensitivity of the majority of people.

According to the Church, marriage is the exclusive, permanent union of one man with one woman. It is a union that should be open to the procreation, nurturing and education of children. It is on this ground that the Church opposes same sex unions. Last year, the court instructed Parliament to change the civil definition of marriage to exclude gender.

The Catholic Church says the judgment brings parliament and the Constitution into disrepute, debasing their credibility. ''What disturbs us most of all is that by calling for parliament to change the definition of marriage, the constitutional court is throwing confusion in people's minds as to what it is to be married," says Wilfrid Napier, a cardinal.

Napier says the church has encouraged all its members to vote in the upcoming elections. He has, however, expressed concern over selfishness and corruption, which he says have led to the collapse of service delivery in a number of regions. Napier says some candidates for the elections are not suitable examples of responsible citizenship.

The CBCSA also spoke against trafficking in women and children.