Pope "Shocked" By Gay Adoption

From the Times Of Malta:

The Pope is “shocked” by Malta’s Civil Unions Bill, which will allow gay couples to adopt children, Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna has told The Sunday Times of Malta. Defending his decision to use his Christmas homily to reiterate that a family had to be built around a man and a woman, Mgr Scicluna said he had aired these concerns with Pope Francis when he met him on December 12. “We discussed many aspects...and when I raised the issue that’s worrying me as a bishop [the right for gay couples to adopt] he encouraged me to speak out," Bishop Scicluna said.

Over the weekend the bishop's claim got widespread coverage on anti-gay sites, most of which then mocked the Advocate's person of the year selection.

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Posted in: Catholic Church,gay adoption,Pope Francis,religion

Quote Of The Day - Alan Osmond

"We regulate the institution of marriage based on gender complementarity. When marriage fails, our state law works to protect the child’s relationship with both the mother and the father, not based on what the parents want, but based on the child’s right to have both genders modeled in his life. Owning children irrelevant to their own emotional or biological needs for both mother and father, creates a solid foundation for human trafficking. If we end gender as a 'sex designated at birth' and replace it with gender as an 'orientation,' all of these gender based protections will end, legalizing gay adoption and gay in vitro-fertilization, punishing those who decline to participate." - Alan Osmond, writing for the Osmond family website. (Tipped by JMG reader Dave)

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Posted in: bigotry,gay adoption,gay families,Mormons,Osmonds,religion,transgender issues,Utah

Northern Ireland Legalizes Gay Adoption

At least there's some good news this week. Via BBC News:

A ban on gay and unmarried couples applying to adopt children in Northern Ireland has been removed. They may now apply in the same way as heterosexual couples. Health Minister Edwin Poots had tried to challenge an appeal court decision to extend adoption rights to gay couples. However, the Supreme Court said the Department of Health's argument for appeal did not meet the criteria. Previously, a single gay or lesbian person could adopt children in Northern Ireland, but a couple in a civil partnership could not. In June, the Court of Appeal ruled that the ban based on relationship status was held to discriminate against those in civil partnerships and to breach their human rights. Northern Ireland was the only part of the United Kingdom where that policy existed. Now, the law in Northern Ireland is in line with the rest of the UK.

RELATED: In October, Northern Ireland's Equality Commission endorsed same-sex marriage and demanded that the issue be put forward in the legislature. The Democratic Unionist Party has so far blocked any attempts.

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Posted in: gay adoption,Northern Ireland,UK