"The Catholic Voice newspaper (15 August 2010) reports that the European Union is funding a conference in Dublin in September, entitled Voices of Children. Very good and proper, you might say. However, the conference will be hosted by a group called Marriage Equality. This group was set up to promote the Civil Partnership Act, and to fight for the status of marriage to be granted to homosexuals and lesbians. The Civil Partnership Act, the group says, doesn’t go far enough for them as it doesn’t yet recognise homosexual marriage, nor does it allow for the adoption of children on the part of homosexuals and lesbians. The October conference is being held to promote the legalisation of adoption of children by [homosexuals]. Rónán Mullen, the Independent senator, who was one of only the four senators who spoke against the enactment of the Civil Partnership Act last month, points out that European Union and Irish government officials have repeatedly claimed that social and ethical issues, including laws on marriage and the family, are matters for member-states and are outside the competence of the EU. So much for Government promises!Pope John Paul II, a great pro-life champion of the 20th and 21st centuries, pointed out that:
"Senator Mullen continues:
‘The funding of this conference highlights an issue that caused many Irish voters to reject the Lisbon Treaty – the problem of “competence creep” in the European Union. This happens when European institutions such as the European Commission and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) extend their policy and decision-making into areas that are supposed to be matters for individual member states.’"It is indeed a very sad, and serious, state of affairs when a government such as the Irish Government overrides the stated wishes of the people and steamrolls the agenda of a minority but powerful group whose stated aim it is to destroy the family."
“It is an illusion to think that we can build a true culture of human life if we do not help the young to accept and experience sexuality and love and the whole of life according to their true meaning and in their close interconnection ... There can be no avoiding the duty to offer, especially to adolescents and young adults, an authentic education in sexuality and in love ...” (EV 97)Readers of this blog may therefore wish to lobby their members of the European parliament (MEPs), urging them to raise the misuse of EU funds in the funding of the Marriage Equality's Voices for Children conference:
Readers may like to remind MEPs that EU funds come from taxpayers in EU member-states, including member-states which uphold pro-life and pro-family principles.
Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
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