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.