Re-defining marriage in the UK

February 06, 2013: The British House of Commons on Tuesday passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage with the support of Prime Minister David Cameron. The bill enables same-sex couples to get married in both civil and religious ceremonies, provided that the religious institution consents. The proposed law was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church. Vatican Radio spoke to the Bishop of Portsmouth, Philip Egan about the issue.

“Naturally, I am very disappointed that Parliament wishes, in an Orwellian manner, to redefine the concept of marriage for England and Wales,” said Bishop Philip Egan, of the Diocese of Portsmouth. “The proposed change will have catastrophic consequences for marriage as an institution, for family life in Britain, and for all human relationships, not least among our young.”

Bishop Egan said the proposal could affect how the Church deals with civil marriage. “One possible consequence of this is that the Church will be forced to withdraw from the civil registration of marriages, as in some European countries, where couples fulfill the civil requirements in the Town Hall before heading to church for Matrimony,” he said.

Earlier, a day before the House of Commons was to vote on a bill on same-sex marriage, the new archbishop of Canterbury restated his opposition.

Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby became the archbishop of Canterbury during an hourlong legal "ceremony of confirmation" at London's St. Paul's Cathedral on Feb. 4. The rite which included an oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, marked the point in which he stepped aside as bishop of Durham and became the leader of the Church of England and spiritual head of 77 million Anglicans in sister churches around the world.

Speaking to reporters afterward, he said that he stood with his brother Anglican bishops in strongly opposing plans by the British government to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples. "I stand, as I have always stood over the last few months, with the statement I made at the announcement of my appointment, which is that I support the Church of England's position on this," he said. "I am very much with the House of Bishops on this, and they have made their views clear," added Archbishop Welby.

The Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, mainstream Protestant denominations, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders are united in their opposition to the legislation. The Catholic bishops have said it would pose a threat to religious liberty and the ability of the church to function effectively in civil society. In January, the bishops distributed a million postcards throughout thousands of parishes in England and Wales to ask the faithful to urge their elected representatives to vote against the proposals.