CCC silent on Gay Marriage

By ART BABYCH
Canadian Catholic News
Ottawa

In recent years it has spoken out against anti-Semitism, campaigned against the U.S.-led war in Iraq, opposed the patenting of higher life forms, rallied in defence of medicare, and said no to Canada's participation in the Ballistic Missile Defence system.

But when it comes to same-sex marriage, opposed by the majority of its 20 members including the largest - the Roman Catholic Church - the voice of the CCC is mute.

"Canadian Christians might hope for a statement of position about same-sex marriage from the Canadian Council of Churches," said CCC president, Prof. Richard Schneider in a forum on same-sex marriage Oct. 7. "But our only statement can be that at present no such pronouncement is possible, and none will be made."

Released as the Supreme Court of Canada completed two days of hearings on the federal government's same-sex reference case, a CCC reflection statement says that because of the CCC structure, "for some issues, we will have to respect the necessity of allowing churches to disagree, even to disagree strongly."

In such cases, it added, "there can be no 'voice of the CCC.'"

The United Church was the only church making a presentation to the Supreme Court in favour of same-sex marriage; several churches spoke against the possibility.

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