THE Archbishop of Birmingham has joined calls against government proposals to legalise gay marriage – calling it “unnecessary” and “divisive”.
The Most Reverend Bernard Longley said he believes existing civil partnerships, which give the same rights as marriage to gay couples, should be enough.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop said: “The civil partnership legislation I accept as something which gave the rights that gay couples were looking for. But I believe that the move towards legislation for extending the understanding and meaning of marriage is not necessary and that it will be divisive.”
He added: “I think the Catholic church in particular, because we uphold and teach the understanding of marriage as the lifelong union between a man and a woman, that is open to the gift of children... we can’t see marriage in any other way. I think that is something which is shared by many faiths. But it is important that we respect the rights and the dignity of homosexual people, too.”
The government launched a consultation on extending civil marriage to gay couples last month, prompting an outcry from traditionalist Christians as well as Muslim and Sikh representatives.
Speaking exclusively to the Birmingham Mail ahead of a Good Friday Walk of Witness, Archbishop Longley also spoke of the need for “healing” following cases of child sex abuse in the Catholic church.
He said: “On this day of Christ’s suffering, the day of the crucifixion, in my thoughts it links very much. The suffering that those who have been abused, and the suffering that comes through a betrayal of trust within the church, is part of the suffering of Christ, and it will be in my thoughts and prayers today.”
He said: “What I can say is that we have over the past ten years or more, put in place clear guidelines and the transparent policies and procedures for ensuring that Catholic parishes and the Catholic church is as safe a place as it can be for children and for vulnerable adults. That’s our vision, that’s our policy, and that’s what we will do. And wherever there is evidence to show that anyone has suffered abuse, that is always brought to the proper authorities.”
Archbishop Longley is celebrating his third Easter in the Birmingham Archdiocese since succeeding Archbishop Vincent Nichols in December 2009.
“I have been here for just over two years now, and I love it here,” he said.
“I do love my work and I feel very privileged to serve in Birmingham. I think it’s a great and fascinating city.”
Touching on last summer’s riots, the Archbishop said faith communities have an “obligation” to “look to the lives of our young people”.
He said: “The factors which led to it do need more careful investigation, particularly the kind of dissatisfaction with their own lives that leads young people to contemplate destroying property and threatening people’s lives."