NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      PARIS (CWNews.com) - The French bishops' conference on Thursday warned that a proposed law granting full legal rights to unmarried people living together could undermine the fabric of society.

      The so-called "civil solidarity pact" would grant the same social and tax rights to heterosexual and homosexual couples that married couples now enjoy. "It is not necessary to put a new statute on the legislation books that risks further destroying the idea of being a couple and a family," the bishops said. They also dismissed attempts to say the measure would bring the law into line with modern life in France, saying marriage is fundamental to society. "It is not a simple contract or private affair but constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of society ... Marriage should be appreciated as a privileged alliance between a man and a woman," they said.

      About 13,000 mayors of French cities and towns have signed petitions refusing to officiate the "solidarity pacts" as provided in the law, forcing a change to require the pact to take place in court clerks' offices. The mayors said they feared they would be forced to officiate at "gay marriages." The bishops warned that legalized same-sex marriage is a possible goal of some of the law's promoters.