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Vatican against decriminalisation of gays
Vatican
Vatican opposes worldwide decriminalisation of homosexuality
"Italy, along with 26 other EU countries has signed the proposal for the worldwide decriminalisation of homosexuality"
Italian opposition and gay groups are today rallying against the Vatican’s intention to vote against a French UN proposal to decriminalise homosexuality around the world.
Later this month France will prepare to present the proposal at UN General Assembly, which forms part of a wider campaign to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Vatican representative to the UN, Monsignor Celestino Migliore said he was reluctant to single out homosexual-based laws for fear of further alienating and discriminating the group. He stated that he thought that approach “would create new and implacable discriminations…for instance, nations that do not recognize same-sex marriages would be shamed and be subjected to pressure.''
Many in Italian and world politics have denounced the Vatican’s stance on homosexual law with regards the human rights bill as “unacceptable”. Democtratic Party MP Paola Concia summed up her feelings:
"Decriminalising homosexuality means preventing some nations from sentencing homosexuals to death or imprisonment,''
Aurelio Mancuso, leader of the Gay Rights Association also attacked the Vatican’s viewpoint, arguing:
“Thanks to the particular status the medieval Vatican state enjoys at the U.N., and by allying itself with dictatorial regimes including Islamic ones, the clerical lobby is putting pressure on nations so that civil rights and liberties are not acknowledged."
The Catholic Church does not deem homosexuality itself as a sin, but considers homosexual acts to be sinful.
Italy, along with 26 other EU countries has signed the proposal for the worldwide decriminalisation of homosexuality. There remain 150 countries that have not signed it.
