The Spanish Episcopal Church will not ask the country’s new conservative government to overturn gay marriage legislation introduced by the previous socialist regime, one of its leading bishops has said.
There was concern from gay rights groups that laws permitting gay marriage in the country could be scrapped following the conservative People’s Party (PP) election victory last weekend, but the Church has allayed fears that it will lobby the new government on the issue.
As reported by El País newspaper, Juan Antonio Martínez, the spokesperson for the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) said: “The CEE never tells any ruler what to do. It has not done so with previous governments, and it will not do so with this one.”
Responding to questions on mass demonstrations from churchgoers following the implementation of gay marriage legislation in 2005 and pro-abortion laws, Martínez added: “We state the position of the Church. And we have said that there are laws that are clearly unjust. Governments will know what they have to do if they want to have just laws, ones that do not violate human rights.”
