Portugal’s Catholic Church has called for a referendum over government proposals to push same sex civil marriages through parliament.
Statements voiced over the weekend by the Bishop of Braga, Jorge Ortiga, expressed the view that “society was awash with problems” and that “a referendum would provide a good opportunity for necessary reflection” on the part of the Portuguese people.
The comments, which broke official church silence over the controversial issue, came at the same time that the President of the Republic, Cavaco Silva, warned that the government had “bigger priorities to worry about” such as unemployment, the economic crisis and a falling birth rate.
Denying that he was “fuelling intrigues”, Cavaco Silva said “the President doesn’t fuel intrigues set up to divert attention” after the PS Socialist parliamentary deputy, Sérgio Sousa Pinto, accused the Head of State of “interfering with the PS government’s agenda”.
Defending the President, the PCP Communist Party leader Jerónimo Sousa, said that the PS was “over dramatising” Cavaco Silva’s statements, which were “only an opinion” rather than “opposition”. The Bishop of Braga also said that the family was a “fundamental pillar of society” and called for the need to “reinforce support for motherhood” at a time when “society was ageing dramatically”.
A recent poll carried out for the television station TVI has shown that 55 per cent are against gay marriages and 66 per cent are against gay couples adopting children.
Do you have a view on this story? Please email Editor Inês Lopes at ines.lopes@mmspublishing.com
