The fact that this is a political statement from the Vatican indicates that they have lost the theological debate and are now seeking to influence the political debate. The Catholic Church feels its franchise is at risk.

The Vatican’s call on democratically elected MPs and Ministers to oppose recent and future same sex law reform on Domestic Partnerships and adoption is not only vicious but may well be seditious.

Many Lesbians and Gay men of all ages feel vulnerable and experience depression because of social prejudice against homosexuality. The negative attitudes of most Churches (and the Catholic Church in particular) and some ill-informed and bigoted sections of society fuel and exacerbate these attitudes.

Relationships between some parents and their gay children will be further damaged by the Vatican’s anti family diatribe. Parents who heed the Vatican ruling will be torn between the love of their children and their allegiance to Rome.  One outcome will be a reduction in parental support and nurturing, increased youth homelessness and family breakdown. Increased incidents of self harm are the likely dividend the Vatican will reap.
 
Groups such as the Blackshirts, Nazis, Skinheads and other disaffected gangs will find comfort in the Vatican’s statements. They will be inspired and encouraged by the statements which seem designed to incite hatred and will cause an increase in homophobic assault, violence and vilification.

Whatever we may think of the Catholic hierarchy, they are surely not stupid. They cannot be unaware of the physical and mental harm that such statements will cause. The Vatican is well aware that hateful diatribes are likely to incite violence against Lesbians and Gay men. Therefore they must have intended this outcome.

We are concerned at the impact of their statements even if the Vatican is not.

The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby strongly condemns the moral depravity of the Catholic Church and its agents of influence and It calls on ALL members of Australian Parliaments, Church Ministers and parishioners, Parents and Community groups to speak out against this hateful and violent edict from the Vatican.

The Catholic Church claims that it provides moral leadership. The reality is that the Catholic Inquisition is back as the purveyors of a discredited and morally bankrupt view that has no currency in the 21st Century and in fact reads like an excerpt from a Nazi family planning manual.
 
The Catholic Church burnt people at the stake for denying the earth was flat.

The Catholic Church supported slavery, and the burning of “witches”.

The Catholic Church condemned Galileo for putting the sun at the centre.

The Catholic Church did not denounce Hitler as morally depraved. Well, not when it mattered.

The Catholic Church shunted pedophile priests from parish to parish and from school to school and had to be dragged to court to face up to its legal responsibilities.

It’s about time the Catholic Church looked at its own moral depravity.

Lesbians and gay men have human rights, like anyone else. This includes the right to love and be loved, and to have their love recognised, like anyone else. Galileo’s vindication took 400 years. We can’t wait.



The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby supports the statement made by the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group and refers interested journalists to the Tasmanian Anti Discrimination Act 1998, Section 19

Inciting hatred

19. A person, by a public act, must not incite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of, a person or a group of persons on the ground of -
      (a) The race of the person or any member of the group; or
      (b) Any disability of the person or any member of the group; or
      (c) The sexual orientation or lawful sexual activity of the person or any member of the group; or
      (d) The religious belief or affiliation or religious activity of the person or any member of the group.

For comment or clarification phone David McCarthy on 0412377099

 

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."
(Art. 1, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948)