A VATICAN document rallying opposition to worldwide moves to legalise ‘same-sex unions’ has drawn a mixed reaction among Catholic politicians in Australia.
In the 12-page document released on July 31, the Vatican instructed Catholic politicians that they were morally bound to oppose moves to legally recognise same-sex unions.
Catholic federal MPs, Laurie Brereton (Labor) and Christopher Pyne (Liberal), were quoted in The Australian as responding to the document with a reminder on the need for the separation of Church and state.
Other Catholics in parliament, contacted by The Catholic Leader – Senator John Hogg (Labor), Kevin Andrews (Liberal) and Bob Katter (Independent) – were more supportive.
Prime Minister John Howard, although not a Catholic, last week backed the Vatican line. He said he opposed legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
Dr Warwick Neville, a lawyer and research fellow for the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, in an interview on ABC TV’s Lateline, said there was nothing new in the Vatican’s document in relation to Catholic doctrine.
Queensland Labor Senator John Hogg said, while he had not read the document, the broad outline that had been reported was enough for him to know that his own basic beliefs and values concurred with it.
Federal Minister for Aging, Kevin Andrews, while not responding directly on the issue of same-sex unions, took the chance to defend the sanctity of marriage and its importance for the welfare of children.
He said Australians believed people should be permitted to live their private lives as they chose, but there was ‘a consequent trend that we cannot ignore’.
Mr Katter, a former National Party politician and now the Independent Member for Kennedy in Queensland, said he was always wary about matters involving Church and state, but the Church was right to stand its ground on this issue because that was its job as a moral leader.
