Vatican paper
condemns Canada for legalizing same-sex marriage

The Vatican newspaper on Thursday attacked Canada's legalization of same-sex marriage, calling it a distortion of God's plan for the family. Canada became the fourth nation to grant full legal rights to same-sex couples when the supreme court's chief justice signed the legislation into law on Wednesday. "The distortion of God's plan for the family continues," reported L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican daily. "In Canada, homosexual unions have become equal to marriage."

The Roman Catholic Church in Canada, in line with the Vatican's worldwide policy, vigorously opposed the legislation. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain have also legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.