Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
London (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster has written to the British government asking for Catholic Adoption Agencies to be exempt from the obligation to consider same sex couples as adoptive parents according to new equality rules for adoption agencies due to be introduced from April. The Cardinal writes " to oblige our agencies in law to consider adoption applications from homosexual couples as potential adoptive parents would require them to act against the principles of Catholic teaching". It would be “unreasonable, unnecessary and unjust discrimination against Catholics for the Government to insist that if they wish to continue to work with local authorities, Catholic adoption agencies must act against the teaching of the Church and their own consciences by being obliged in law to provide such a service”. If the Act is passed Catholic agencies would have to close and this would be an "unnecessary tragedy" with regard to over 4000 children waiting to be adopted, the Cardinal writes urging the authorities to allow Catholic agencies to continue their work: “There is nothing to lose, and children waiting for an adoptive family have much to gain, by our continuing successful collaboration.".
The Cardinal’s request was backed by Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland. In a letter to Prime Minster Tony Blair, Archbishop Conti asked him to amend the proposed sexual orientation regulations so that Catholic adoption agencies will not be compelled to place children with same sex couples. He said the Scottish Bishops main concern is that “fact that when legislation concerning the provision of adoption services was recently making its way through the Scottish Parliament, Ministers gave assurances that the services provided by the Catholic Adoption agencies was valued by the Executive and that every effort would be made to protect the position of Catholic agencies. Implementation of the proposed Regulations would be regarded as a betrayal of this commitment which was accepted in good faith by the Catholic community in Scotland" the Archbishop underlined. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 24/1/2007; righe 20, parole 277)
