Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Mgr. Paglia: “Children are not merchandise”

Vincenzo PagliaAccording to the President of the Pontifical Council for Family, Vincenzo Paglia, “the adoption of children by same-sex couples, leads to the child becoming like a piece of merchandise: I have a right to this just as I have a right to that.”

The Vatican family “minister” said this in an interview with Vatican Radio, on the demonstration that will take place in France tomorrow against Minister Hollande’s bill for the introduction of same-sex marriage with the right to adopt. 

In the wide-ranging interview with Vatican Radio, Mgr. Paglia did not make any reference to the sentence issued yesterday by the Italian Court of Appeal, which continues to raise controversy.
 
“A child - the bishop added – needs to be born and raised the traditional way, that is, by a father and a mother. Children need to grow up in this context. Unfortunately, now, dramatic situations do seem to arise sometimes, but beware: having a condition is one thing, eliminating this principle is extremely dangerous, above all for the child, but also for the entire society. Let me give just one example: of course a father and daughter should love one another and this love must grow. But I cannot expect this love to become married love, otherwise this would disturb the balance of things and we would end up in a Babel of words which is the shore of the abyss for the whole of society.”
 
“The French Episcopate’s attitude seems very intelligent to me,” Mgr. Paglia observed. “It involves understanding that the reality of marriage and the family does not belong to any one person: it is humanity’s reality. As such, I think it is very wise for the Church to promote the event alongside so many others, but without bishops promoting it personally. And this is also the reason why the Church should take an interest: because this question does not only involve one group, it is the legacy of the entire humanity! And weakening or discrediting the strength of marriage and of the family is absolutely crucial for the future of humanity.”
 
According to the Pope’s family “minister”, by resorting to neutral language, so that we no longer refer to parents as mother and father but as parent A and parent B, “all we risk is ridicule,” because “equality is one thing and respect for diversity another and in order for equality to be strong there has to be respect for diversity.”