Three Cardinals open to same sex civil partnerships

A leading cardinal has said that same-sex relationships should be respected and recognised in law amid signs of a change in church thinking on the subject.

Disgraced Cardinal McCarrick

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, made the remarks in a lecture at the National Gallery evening titled "Christianity: Alien Presence or Foundation of the West?" on Monday. "There can be same-sex partnerships and they need respect, and even civil law protection. Yes, but please keep it away from the notion of marriage. Because the definition of marriage is the stable union between a man and a woman open to life," Cardinal Schönborn said. "We should be clear about terms and respect the needs of people living in a partnership together. They deserve respect," he added. Two other cardinals, Colombian Ruben Salazar and Theodore McCarrick have recently suggested the Church should not oppose same-sex civil unions.

Full story- link the Tablet now broken.

Cathcon- more soon.   The Cardinal has given this talk at least three times, although as far as I can see without the above until now.  Blessings of gay couples have been going on in his Cathedral for years.

Pope Francis allegedly was in favour of a softer line until outvoted by the Bishop's Conference.   The source for this was someone working within the Bishops' Conference at the time.  Subsequently, there were strong denials.

Cardinal McCarrick subsequently clarified his comments.   Link lost in 2023, McCarrick was subsequntly utterly disgraced and laicised.

Cardinal Ruben Salazar joined the debate generated by the decision that  Congress should legislate soon on  marriage between same-sex couples.

"There can be no true marriage but between a man and a woman, and this can only be the basis for a real family,"said Salazar, President of the Episcopal Co nference, who said that it is not a personal position but from the vision of the universal Church, reflected also in the Constitution.

Salazar also said that it is not an ideological position, and it is the vocation of the Church to  defend the heart of society, which he said is the family. "The other unions have a right to exist, no one can ask them not to exist, but they should not be equated with the family, not trying to assume the role of the family within the state,which is where it starts to subvert the social order, "said also Archbishop of Bogota, who cautioned that these statements are not looking to attack the country's gay community, much less violate their rights.

The most senior prelate of Catholicism in Colombia recalled that homosexual couples already enjoy a set of rights, protected by the Colombian justice system, but he considers it unacceptable that seek access to the marriage. "They have every right in the world to live together, to legalize their union, if they want to do all types of economic arrangements. But I see no reason that they want even more , as if they have the right to be truly a family when they are not "emphasized the prelate".

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