Pope Francis backs traditional marriage as Slovakia vote looms

Last updated on: February 6, 2015 at 8:41 pm by CNA Daily News

Pope Francis backs traditional marriage as Slovakia vote looms 2015-02-06T20:41:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Feb 6, 2015 / 01:41 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- With Slovaks set to hit the polls on tomorrow's referendum on marriage, Pope Francis used this week's general audience as a chance to encourage voters in defending the sacrament’s traditional definition.

“I greet the pilgrims from Slovakia and, through them, I wish to express my appreciation to the entire Slovak Church, encouraging everyone to continue their efforts in defense of the family, the vital cell of society,” the Pope told pilgrims in his Feb. 4 general audience.

The Pope’s declaration in defense of the family falls just days before Slovakians will vote for the third time on whether or not same-sex unions should be legalized in the country.

After the Slovakian parliament inserted the definition of traditional marriage into their constitution last year, more than 400,000 Slovaks signed a petition calling for a national vote, Reuters news reports.

Saturday’s referendum poses three questions to voters: whether marriage can only be a union between a man and a woman, whether children should be adopted by same-sex couples, and whether or not children can skip classes that educate on sex and euthanasia.

Gay unions of any type are currently illegal in Slovakia, and two attempts to push them through parliament have failed in the past, Reuters reports.

The country’s bishops have urged widespread support for campaigns to keep the traditional definition of marriage, and the Slovakian Episcopal Conference issued a pastoral letter on the topic that was read aloud in a televised Mass Feb. 1.

Speaking of St. Joseph’s immediate defense of the child Jesus when informed by an angel that Herod was seeking to kill him after his birth, the bishops encouraged all parents and grandparents to go to the polls and defend young lives and families.

In the face of those who want to distort children’s personality and sexuality to the extent that their future marital relationships will be affected, the bishops said that parents cannot remain “impassive.”

Pope Francis in October warned members of the German Schoenstatt movement that the sacrament of marriage today has been reduced to an association, and encouraged them to be faithful witnesses in a secular world.

“The family is being hit, the family is being struck and the family is being bastardized…you can call everything family, right?” he asked.

“What is being proposed is not marriage, it's an association. But it's not marriage! It's necessary to say these things very clearly and we have to say it!”

Pope Francis also lamented the fact that there are so many “new forms” of unions that are “totally destructive and limiting the greatness of the love of marriage.”

He encouraged Catholics to engage in “close combat” with these destructive unions, particularly in the area of pastoral care, saying that it is the key to defending the sanctity of the sacrament.

Vatican

Previous Post

February 6, 2015

Modern martyrs are massacred by 'corrupt people who hate Jesus'

Next Post

February 7, 2015 Killed by terrorists, named a martyr: the life of Fr. Alessandro Dordi

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I made the people take an oath not to intermarry with foreigners, and I pulled out the hair of those who disobeyed. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nehemiah Moses Ezra Joshua