The head of
Italy's bishops lashed out Monday at a government proposal
to give same-sex couples rights similar to those of
married people and criticized euthanasia in a speech
that provoked an immediate political backlash.
Premier Romano
Prodi's center-left government has pledged to come up with
legislation to safeguard rights for all unmarried couples,
including same-sex ones, by the end of January. The
issue has been divisive in a predominantly Catholic
country closely watched by the Vatican. ''It must be
said that [same-sex unions] are at odds with basic
anthropological facts, in particular with the nonexistence
of the blessing of generating children, which is the
specific reason for the social recognition of
marriage,'' Cardinal Camillo Ruini said in an address
to the Italian bishops' conference.
Proponents of the
proposed law accused the cardinal of interfering in
Italy's political affairs. Ruini spoke ''like a premier or
the head of a political party setting his agenda to
the government and parliament,'' said Daniele
Capezzone of the tiny Radical Party.
But right-wing
politicians opposed to the proposal praised Ruini's stance
as a defense of the traditional family. ''Even in lay
politics, we have a responsibility to defend the
family,'' lawmaker Maurizio Gasparri was quoted as
saying by the Apcom agency. ''We must follow Ruini's warning
not to break up the family and to protect the natural one
based on marriage.''
The proposed
legislation would give unmarried couples inheritance rights,
joint medical insurance, visiting rights in prisons and
hospitals, and the right to make decisions in case one
partner becomes ill. (AP)
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