No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCatholic Church Reiterates Gay Unions “Improper”

Catholic Church Reiterates Gay Unions “Improper”

Costa Rica’s Catholic Church is speaking out against a bill presented in the Legislative Assembly last week that would allow gay couples to enter into civil unions, calling the measure “improper.”

The law is “totally inappropriate from the point of view of natural right, constitutional rights and, in our point of view as believers, divine right,” said a statement posted on the Web site of the Episcopal Conference, an organization comprising the country’s Catholic bishops.

“If this law is passed, it would be an evil for society, a mortal wound to the institution of marriage and the family and a distortion of God’s plan,” the statement said.

The Church said that although gays are “people created by God” who have an “inalienable dignity… the fact that they have homosexual inclinations does not legitimize the union of people of the same sex.”

A group of lawmakers including Ana Helena Chacón of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) and José Merino of the Broad Front submitted the bill last week with the backing of the Diversity Movement, a national gay-rights group. It would give gay people in civil unions the rights heterosexual couples in such unions enjoy, such as a share of assets after a partner’s death or the right to Social Security System (Caja) benefits through a partner (TT, June 22).

In its statement, the Catholic Church urged legislators to not pass the law and to “preserve the guardianship and the promotion of the family founded in monogamous marriage between people of the opposite sex and protect their unity and stability.”

 

Popular Articles

Happy Earth Day 2025: Celebrating Costa Rica’s Natural Wonders in Photos

In celebration of our little 51,100‑square‑kilometer stretch of earth, we’re revisiting a selection of photos from Costa Rica’s landscapes. From volcanoes and rivers to...

Costa Rica Tightens Prison Rules, Adopts El Salvador’s Bukele Model

The Costa Rican Ministry of Justice and Peace has unveiled sweeping reforms to the nation’s penitentiary system, drawing inspiration from El Salvador’s hardline security...

Costa Rica to Host ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise Season 10

Costa Rica will serve as the filming location for the tenth season of ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise, with production scheduled to start this summer....
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait

Latest Articles