Traditional teaching on marriage affirmed

Pope Francis has reiterated the Church’s teaching on marriage as Italy debates a same-sex union proposal and anticipation builds around his official response to last October’s Synod on the Family, writes Christopher Lamb.

Speaking to the Roman Rota last Friday, the Vatican court that primarily deals with marriage annulment cases, the Pope said: “The family, founded on indissoluble matrimony that unites and allows procreation, is part of God’s dream and that of his Church for the salvation of humanity.”

On Thursday Italy’s Senate was to debate legislation that would offer civil unions to gay couples with inheritance, pension, tax and welfare rights. It would  allow a non-biological parent in a homosexual union to adopt the child conceived by his or her partner.

During his address to the Rota the Pope said: “There can be no confusion between the family God wants and any other type of union”. Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco,  Bishops’ Conference president, lent his support to a rally for the traditional family in Rome today. One million people are expected.