Italian bishops are engaged in unprecedented high-level lobbying in an attempt to persuade Catholic politicians not to support a proposed new law on civil unions. The progress of the legislation is being followed with deep concern by the Holy See.
In the last few weeks, Vatican authorities have intervened in the Italian public debate to reiterate the Church's opposition to any recognition of same-sex unions and to call believers to defend traditional marriage and values. Their action sparked protests by left-wing politicians who see their intervention as an attempt to unduly influence politics.
Pope Benedict XVI entered the debate last Sunday when, at the Angelus, he called on "the Church and every public institution" to defend the traditional family "with pastoral and political initiatives". His appeal was interpreted as a rallying cry to Catholic politicians to try to stop the law. Italian newspapers reported that Vatican officials have approached key Government figures, such as Deputy Prime Minister Francesco Rutelli, who has often been close to the Vatican on ethical issues.
Newspapers also reported that the secretary of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Giuseppe Betori, titular Bishop of Falerone, had a meeting with Rosi Bindi, a Catholic politician writing the civil-unions law. He denied having been shown a draft "for approval".
Bishop Betori was then involved in a heated exchange with the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano, a generally well-respected figure in Italian politics. Mr Napolitano had expressed his hope that a "synthesis" could be reached on civil unions, "taking into account concerns expressed by the pontiff and Church authorities". His invitation to "dialogue" was rebutted by Bishop Betori, who repeated the Church's position that a law would be "redundant" and that there is no need to create a "pseudo-family alongside legitimate families".
The Italian approach to civil unions will differ from laws approved in countries such as Spain or the UK as it does not plan to introduce a watered-down form of marriage. Instead, two people - same sex or not - living in a loving, stable relationship will be able to register their union at a local office. This will give them some of the rights now reserved for married couples and, after 10 years, de facto couples will have inheritance rights. Details of the draft are still uncertain as changes will be made until the last minute to try to accommodate Vatican concerns.
Until now, these attempts have failed: Cardinal Camillo Ruini, President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, said on 22 January: "There is no need to create a legally constituted model that would inevitably shape something similar to a marriage but where rights would not correspond to duties." "Present laws", he added, "already protect most of the rights of live-in partners, and fully those of their children."
The latest poll by Eurispes, a respected pollster, shows that seven in 10 Italians would be in favour of a civil-unions law; support is high also among Catholics.