The central value in Italian society today is that of the family, of planning a life together, whether for two or more people, and not that of marriage, as Karol Wojtyla stated in his appeal this morning to the Italian political world, on the centrality of the family founded on marriage in political action.
It is no coincidence that Wojtyla felt the need to constantly reiterate the centrality of marriage, because he knew that in common sense, family exists where there is love and shared responsibility, life plans founded on affection and mutual respect.
No secular social policy in 2001 can fail to embrace the entire population, as stated in the birth control law, which includes every community of loved ones within the concept of family. The exclusion of same-sex couples from the institution of marriage, moreover, makes reference to this institution in the political actions of governments and local administrations discriminatory. This is why Arcigay is currently collecting signatures for the Radical Party's bill on gay marriage.
We must look at today's society, the women and men who make up it, their dreams and life plans, with a secular approach and without dogmatism and religious fundamentalism, without aiming to force Italians' affections and relationships into a cultural burqa.
In Europe, several states have now passed laws recognizing de facto and same-sex partnerships, which the Vatican has always strongly opposed. These include France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and Portugal, as well as the regions of Catalonia, Valencia, Aragon, and Navarre in Spain. Similar bills are pending in the parliaments of Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Due to Vatican pressure, Italy risks becoming the most backward of European countries when it comes to the civil rights of homosexuals.
Sergio Lo Giudice – National President of Arcigay
