Catholic Cardinal fires back at illegal gay marriages in Italy

A Catholic Cardinal is warning that gay marriage may lead to the destruction of family structure if it becomes culturally accepted by the Catholic Church.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the head of the Italian Bishops Conference gave a warning on November 10 that gay marriage is "a Trojan horse" that will weaken the family.

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"It only confuses people and has the effect of being a sort of Trojan horse, undermining culturally and socially the core of humanity," Bagnasco said during a meeting of Italian bishops in the town of Assisi in Umbria.

"It is irresponsible to weaken the family by creating new forms," he added. Furthermore, he said, children "have a right to a mother and a father."

Cardinal Bagnasco is also the archbishop of Genoa and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Italy's national association of bishops. He was also considered one of the top five candidates to succeed Pope Benedict XVI after he retired.

"Cardinal Bagnasco's remarks were interpreted as ana ttack on the increasing number of mayors in Italy who have recently made a point of recognizing gay marriages performed overseas," the Telegraph reported.

However, the mayor of Rome held a ceremony to recognize 16 gay marriages that had been performed outside of Italy, and this event may have prompted the Cardinal's remarks.

"Such arbitrary presumption, put on show right here in Rome at the present time, is unacceptable," the Italian Episcopal Conference said in a statement.

A member of Italy's Parliament, Eugenia Rocelle, said that "Cardinal Bagnasco's comments on the family are, as ever, absolutely clear."

"The attempt by mayors to undermine the law and the Italian constitution by registering gay marriages performed abroad is specious and constitutes a classic Trojan horse tactic," she added.

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