Pope Benedict XVI has lauded a French
rabbi's essay arguing that the government's plans to legalize
marriage and adoption for gay and lesbian couples are little more
than a backroom deal for “the exclusive profit of a tiny minority.”
Rabbi Gilles Bernheim published his
essay, titled Gay Marriage, Parenthood and Adoption: What We Often
Forget To Say, in October. Bernheim also maintained that gay
nuptials are often supported out of political correctness.
Homosexuals rights groups “will use
gay marriage as a Trojan Horse” in a wider campaign to “deny
sexual identity and erase sexual differences” and “undermine the
heterosexual fundamentals of our society,” Bernheim
wrote.
In his annual Christmas address on
Friday given at the Clementine Hall of the Vatican's Apostolic
Palace, Benedict applauded Bernheim's essay, calling it “profoundly
moving.”
The Holy Father also described marriage
equality as a
“manipulation of nature” and dedicated the coming year to
promoting family values.
Last week, in his message for the
January 1 World Day of Peace, Benedict said such unions threaten
justice and peace. The comments prompted a
small group of activists to protest the pope's views.
(Related: Vatican
criticizes French Catholic magazine's gay marriage endorsement.)