News from the Catholic Church

Catholic parish pays up for gay wedding

This from expatica.com:

NEUSS - A court in Germany Wednesday ordered a Roman Catholic congregation to compensate two gay men who were not allowed to hold their same-sex wedding reception in the church hall.

Attorneys for the church said the congregation in the Cologne suburb of Neuss had been misled by the couple.

Only after the church had accepted EUR 300 for use of the hall for a "wedding reception" did clergy learn that the happy couple consisted of two men.

Saying the Catholic Church does not recognize homosexual marriage, the parish priest refused to permit the event to be held. The Neuss court judge agreed that the church had the right to determine who uses its premises. But she said it had no right to cancel the event and then also keep the EUR 300.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I would like anyone paying for my wedding who couldn't stand me. It seems like it would tarnish it, but then again, I could be the victim of watching too much Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

Vatican Launches Drive Against Gay Marriage Laws

The Vatican launched a global campaign against gay marriages Thursday, warning Catholic politicians that support of same-sex unions was "gravely immoral" and urging non-Catholics to join the offensive.

"There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family," the document said. "Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law."

"God's plan" is at best ambiguous enough on the issue of gay people that most of the religious community would say (if they are being totally honest) that it's best to not try to second-guess God on this or any other issue. Being a non-religious gay person, I'm just wondering of all the sins that are spelled out in the Bible, that everyone just focuses on homosexuality. What ever happened to the sin of eating pork, swearing, adultery, etc.? It must be nice to have the luxury of picking and choosing through the sin book on what is important and what can conveniently be forgotten about. Such hypocrisy, it makes me ill.

Catholics Reject Vatican, 57% Support Gay Marriage

(Ottawa) The Vatican's condemnation of gay marriage has fallen on deaf ears in Canada according to a new poll. 57 percent of Roman Catholics surveyed said they would support the right of same-sex couples to marry, a figure higher than for Protestants.

The poll, by Environics Research shows that only 38 per cent of those people who identified as Protestant support gay marriage with 58 per cent opposed.

Among all Canadians, the poll found a slim majority, 53 per cent, support same-sex marriage, while 43 per cent are opposed and three per cent are undecided.

Although the survey was taken prior to the reading of the Vatican pronouncement in churches across the country Sunday, Environics pollster Derek Leebosh said support for same-sex marriage among Catholics appears to be solid.