Keep up battle against same-sex marriage, urges Catholic leader

Protesters against same-sex marriage in Paris last month (AP)

A French Catholic campaigner has urged Church leaders not to give up opposition to same-sex marriage, despite the spread of laws allowing the practice across Europe.

Antoine Renard, president of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe, said: “The message from France is the campaign isn’t over – these laws rely on a big lie, and no lie can survive.

“Our own government has succeeded in its goal of dividing opinion in the Catholic Church, so the Church’s authorities need to be prudent. But there’s a lot of teaching to be done, and I hope our pastors will provide it,” he told the American Catholic News Service.

France’s same-sex marriage law, which allows gay and lesbian couples to marry and adopt children, was signed by French president François Hollande on May 18.

Mr Renard said Catholic groups would step up their campaign against the law before municipal and European Parliament elections in early 2014 and would try to block the government’s “gender-based reforms” in education and family life.

“Although this law has been adopted, we can still fight against its application and pressure political parties to show stronger commitment,” he said. “Although it will be difficult to repeal or revise it, we’re determined to try and will be encouraging campaigners in other countries to do the same.”

The Catholic La Croix daily has reported that France is seeing a “multiplication of initiatives” against the law, with new groups springing up nationwide.

Read more at Catholic Herald