CONSCIENCE HAS RIGHTS TOO!

The Catholic Church has been at the centre of our national news recently, and stands accused by many of a doctrinaire prejudice and illiberal intolerance out of keeping with the thoughts and feelings of the rest of the nation.

And yet Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor in his letter to the Prime Minister and Cabinet about the proposed regulations on discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation made it very clear that 'the Catholic Church utterly condemns all forms of unjust discrimination, violence, harassment or abuse directed against people who are homosexual.  Indeed the Church teaches that they must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity'. The Catholic Church has recognised many elements of recent legislation which have taken steps to prevent such discrimination.

There is a real danger, however, of discrimination against the consciences of Catholics, many other Christians and people of other faiths, who uphold traditional marriage (as a personal relationship between a man and a woman) as the best context for a child to be welcomed and nurtured.

The proposed legislation would require Catholic adoptive agencies (which currently place a third of those children most difficult to place with adoptive parents) to act against the principles of Catholic teaching, and they would therefore have to close.

Catholic adoption agences already take very seriously their responsibility to 'sign-post' gay and lesbian couples to other agencies which may consider their application.  Such couples are not, therefore, deprived of the opportunity to be adoptive parents by the present situation.

The Catholic Church (and particularly its leaders) stand accused once again of being doctrinaire and illiberal.  There is a serious danger that the good work of Catholic adoption agencies (whose excellent track record has been commended by national and local government) will be forced out of existence by a doctrinaire and illiberal imposition of a particular viewpoint on the rights of gay and lesbians. The present government makes much fuss about 'choice'; this legislation would remove one such choice from adoptive parents.  There is more than one form of discrimination and prejudice.

Extract From: Diocesan Website (http://www.catholiceastanglia.org/)
Extract Date: January 2007