The French Church refuses homophobia
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Coptic priest kneels at the altar during a Liturgy in Arabic at the Coptic Orthodox Church of Saint Mary and Saint Antonios in the Queens borough of New York September 19, 2012. Reuters photo
The Catholic Church in France has stated its objection to homophobia and issued a statement saying it is willing to listen to the demands of the gay community with a view to opening a real debate on a draft law concerning same-sex marriage, daily Le Figaro has reported."The church wants to welcome gay people and will continue to contribute to the fight against all forms of homophobia and discrimination,” the Conference of Bishops of France’s Family and Society Council said in a statement that was released Sept. 27.
Signed by 12 members of the council, the text seeks to deepen all dimensions of the problem in order to achieve a solution to the issue. The bishops have demanded recognition of homosexual people without attacking the anthropological foundations of society. "An evolution of family law is always possible,” the statement said.
The text, which has been described as a "working paper" by the spokesman of the episcopate, Bishop Bernard Podvin, was released on the church’s website without any official announcement to present or disseminate the story, according to Le Figaro.
