Bishop of Shrewsbury in new gay marriage law attack
The Bishop of Shrewsbury has again hit out at plans to legalise gay marriage – just days after the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly in favour of it.
Catholic bishop the Rt Rev Mark Davies claimed marriage was a lifelong, exclusive union between a man and a woman and warned its definition 'cannot be changed' by parliaments.
The Government wants to legalise civil marriage for gay couples before the next general election in 2015. Same-sex marriage is not legal in the UK, but since 2005 homosexual couples have been able to enter into legally-recognised civil partnerships.
Bishop Davies accused Britain of 'drifting from its foundations' following Parliament's decision to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples.
It comes after Bishop Davies described the plans to legalise gay marriage as a 'gathering storm for believers' in September.
He told more than 300 worshippers at a mass in Cheshire on Saturday that the church had always 'defended the essence of marriage against all who have sought over the centuries to change or distort its reality' and that Catholics 'must do so again today'.
He accused Culture Secretary Maria Miller of ignorance after she said people who opposed the controversial bill were 'on the wrong side of history'.
The bishop also paid tribute to Cheshire and Shropshire MPs who voted against the bill at its second reading last week.
Bishop Davies said: "As Christians, we must never fear being on the wrong side of any moment of history but we do fear being on the wrong side of eternity. And our society should surely fear placing its trust in passing ideologies.
"And here, I wish to pay public tribute to those members of Parliament across the Shrewsbury Diocese who, in the face of many pressures, stood up for the meaning and identity of marriage and defended the religious freedom of future generations. Such politicians deserve our gratitude and our support for their courageous and principled stand.
"As our country drifts away from its Christian foundation, then surely our Christian witness to marriage becomes more not less important for generations to come."
Shropshire MPs Owen Paterson and Mark Pritchard and Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies all voted against the Government's Bill, while Ludlow MP Philip Dunne did not vote but was opposed to the plan.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski and Telford MP David Wright both supported the Bill.
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