Catholic Archbishop Opposes Changes To United Kingdom Equality Act Declaring Marriage “Lifelong Commitment Of Man And Woman For Mutual Wellbeing And The Procreation And Upbringing Of Children”

A statement from the Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Reverend Peter Smith, declares the Catholic Church will oppose in the “strongest terms” changes to the United Kingdom Equality Act that will afford gay and lesbian couples to resister civil partnerships in places of worships, reports the Guardian. His statement arrives after an announcement last week by the Home Office to lift the ban on civil partnership ceremonies being held in places of worship, although it was mentioned that the rule changes would not be mandatory, that “No religious group will be forced to host a civil partnership registration, but for those who wish to do so this is an important step forward.” According to Reverend Smith, however, it is an attack on traditional marriage, Smith’s statement saying in part that "Marriage does not belong to the state any more than it belongs to the church. It is a fundamental human institution rooted in human nature itself. It is a lifelong commitment of a man and a woman to each other, publicly entered into, for their mutual wellbeing and for the procreation and upbringing of children." He concluded that "No authority – civil or religious – has the power to modify the fundamental nature of marriage. The Equality Act was amended to permit civil partnerships on religious premises, which unhelpfully blurs the distinction previously upheld by parliament and the courts between marriage and civil partnerships. A consenting minister is perfectly free to hold a religious ceremony either before or after a civil partnership. That is a matter of religious freedom, but it requires no legislation by the state. We do not believe it is either necessary or desirable to allow the registration of civil partnerships on religious premises. These will not take place in Catholic churches."