Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly hailed controversial new gay equality laws a "major step forward", after a last-ditch bid to block them failed in the House of Lords.
Ms Kelly, herself a Catholic, said the measures would deliver "dignity, respect and fairness for all".
"These measures will help tackle the practical barriers and real, every day problems faced by lesbian, gay and bisexual people."
Ms Kelly added: "It cannot be right in a decent, tolerant society that a shopkeeper or restaurant can refuse to serve a customer because they are gay.
"It cannot be right for a school to discriminate against a child because of their parents' sexuality or not to take homophobic bullying as seriously as they should."
Ms Kelly added: "It cannot be right in a decent, tolerant society that a shopkeeper or restaurant can refuse to serve a customer because they are gay.
"It cannot be right for a school to discriminate against a child because of their parents' sexuality or not to take homophobic bullying as seriously as they should."
Obviously she is in a difficult position, if she puts forward the position that the Church's teaching, she would be forced to resign but the recent Exhortation says quite clearly. In the States, and elsewhere, many bishops would suggest that her position on this issue would mean that she were unable to receive Holy Communion becasue her public stance was not in communion with the Church's Magisterium.
83. Here it is important to consider what the Synod Fathers described as
eucharistic consistency, a quality which our lives are objectively called to
embody. Worship pleasing to God can never be a purely private
matter, without consequences for our relationships with others: it demands a public witness to our faith. Evidently, this is true for all the baptized, yet it is especially incumbent upon those who, by virtue of their social or political position, must make decisions regarding fundamental values, such as respect for human life, its defence from conception to natural death, the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman, the freedom to educate one's children and the promotion of the common
good in all its forms. These values are not negotiable. Consequently, Catholic politicians and legislators, conscious of their grave responsibility before society, must feel particularly bound, on the basis of a properly formed conscience, to introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature. There is an objective connection here with the Eucharist (cf. 1 Cor 11:27-29).
There is an objective connection here with the Eucharist (cf. 1 Cor 11:27-29). Bishops are bound to reaffirm constantly these values as part of their responsibility to the flock entrusted to them
9 comments:
Sorry, she's not in a difficult position in any true sense of the word. She put her career first and has sold out her purportted faith. So did Judas.
And blonde now. I wonder what that tells us?
Gillian,
All female Catholic politicians become blond, don't they?
All the Catholic politicians in the Government, John Reid being one as well as Ruth Kelly, follow the political line of that great Catholic politician, J. F. Kennedy, in putting government policy first, Church teaching second. One assumes that they might have received guidance in this decision. As far as the Kennedy's were concerned their Catholicism seemed consistently selective, given the male members' propensity for extra-marital affairs, their father, Joe, included, at a time when this was not as prevalent as it is today. As far as I can judge the Catholics in Parliament who have most integrity are converts like Blondie Widdecome and J. S. Gummer.
Ive read Finnigan's post on this demonstration and you can mark my word that if other, mainstream, Catholic organisations had been involved you would not have seen him and his groups for dust in case they were tainted by association. It was a mainstream Evangelical protest and I doubt if they were even noticed, despite their odd behaviour. I doubt if other Catholic organisations even knew about it as they would not have been told. King Canute should be canonised as Finnigan's lot's patron saint.
Thomas said,
I must concur with what saddened mother said regarding Mrs Kelly's actions.Clearly she has taken the thirty silver pieces,rather than stand-up for her
purportted faith.
Did I read somewhere that
Ruth Kelly was a member of Opus Dei? Quite bizarre behaviour really
if that be the case.
Typical NEW LABOUR There is nothing they will not do to stay in power.They have sold the country down the river and now they are selling their souls to the Devil
In the States, and elsewhere, many bishops would suggest that her position on this issue would mean that she were unable to receive Holy Communion
well, actually, "many" is a large stretch. One or two is actually more the case and no one is talking there about the Church's teaching on homosexuality, only and exclusively about their stand on abortion.
Important to remember that things are not so rosy in the US as some would believe.
Why is anyone surprised at politicians doing anything to stay in power? And not just politicians - government advisors say what they think the goverment wants to hear rather than maintain their integrity and say what they really think. They would rather take their massive fees (paid for by us).
This week, the budget and the report on reform of the Council Tax are further examples of failure to act with integrity - unless these people are incredibly stupid, which I suppose is possible.
In addition to the traditional self-interest groups, there is a nice little constituency of "rights" lobbyists out there who have to be appeased.
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