Despite the strong controversy in the civil community, the House of Lords gave the go-ahead for the legal recognition of the so-called “egalitarian marriage,” the “Marriage (Same Sex Couple) Bill,” extending the institution of marriage, with all the effects, to unions between persons of the same sex. On the eve of the vote, Monday June 3rd, even the Primate of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby, intervened with force, reiterating the Church of England’s “no” to «a
law that creates confusion and weakens the family». «
We think that traditional marriage is a cornerstone of society», the Primate of the Church of England said. The question, asserted the Archbishop of Canterbury, is not only religious, but concerns the development and the welfare of the whole society.
In April, the Anglican Community presented a paper, entitled “Men and Women in Marriage,” defending marriage between a man and a woman as well as the traditional family as «the best context for the growth of children». «Marriage is, in the order of creation, a gift from God and a sign of His grace,” and it is “the stable, faithful union of mutual support between a man and a woman, legally sanctioned, central to the stability and prosperity of human society». The danger of legislative revolutions that flout common sense, as well as the values of faith, is that «the institution of marriage, which is part of the fabric of human society, is lacerated». In a document sent in recent months to Members of Westminster, the Anglican Church called for a reflection on the principle that «marriage promotes the common good of society, because it establishes a unique relationship, in which children are conceived, born and grow; and it is this institution that benefits the children».
In recent days, a joint appeal in defense of marriage between a man and a woman was signed by nearly fifty religious leaders, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.
