Chilean Cardinal blasts homosexual ‘civil unions’ legislation backed by president

by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

Cardinal Jorge Medina

CHILE, June 3, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Chilean Cardinal Jorge Medina yesterday vigorously denounced an initiative, recently endorsed by President Sebastian Piñera, to give legal recognition to homosexual couples, according to the Catholic news service ACI Prensa.

Calling the proposed legislation “lamentable” in an interview on Chile’s Radio Bío Bío, the cardinal called on homosexuals to “avoid contact with homosexual people,” because “we know how that can end up,” and observed, “It’s an effort, but the whole Christian life requires an effort.”

“Science has not yet clarified the origins of homosexual tendencies,” Medina noted. “A person can have them, but live in conformity with morality, that is, not live with a partner, not get carried away by the very strong impulse of homosexuality.”

The cardinal called homosexual unions “unacceptable” and noted that “Saint Paul says that those who participate in sodomy will not see the kingdom of God.  Nothing stronger than that can be said.”

Medina also warned that the legislation, which would also give formal legal recognition to the unions of cohabiting heterosexual couples, would undermine the institution of marriage and society as a whole.

The legislation is “not about regularizing or regulating de facto unions, but rather favoring them,” said Medina. “This means, from the point of view of the law, striking a blow against marriage and introducing yet another element to weaken this institution, which is essential for all of society, which is marriage between a man and a woman for their whole lives.”

The legalization of divorce in Chile, which was accomplished in the earlier part of the last decade, has already weakened marriage, the cardinal said, calling it a “ferocious blow” against the institution. He added that the Church’s position would not change.

As LifeSiteNews recently reported, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera recently capitulated to the demands of homosexualist organizations to create civil union legislation, promising to introduce his own bill after protests were scheduled by the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (MOVILH). Piñera has not modified his stance against creating homosexual “marriage.”