A greater voice to the family

As many as 500 thousand people are expected to rally in the streets in sign of protest in Paris on January 13 against the bill that on January 29 will be debated and voted by the National Assembly, which aims to introduce in France marriage between persons of the same sex and grant them the right of adopting a child. The event – known in France under the slogan "Le manuf pour tous" ("The march for all") – is a cartel of 34 organizations including the National Confederation of Catholic Family Associations, the National Federation of Family Associations Protestants, child physicians and paediatricians for children, as well as associations of lawyers. The bishops have repeatedly voiced their opposition to the bill but they underlined they did not publically endorsed the event of 13 January. Promoted by associations and citizens, the march is therefore "non-political and non-confessional". Card. André Vingt-Trois, president of the French Bishops’ Conference, said he will not participate in the event but he may go to greet the protesters. Only eight bishops have announced their intention to march on Sunday 13 and while almost all the totality of the French episcopate has publicly stated opposition to the draft law, only 25 bishops in recent weeks have openly declared their public support by calling upon or encouraging believers to participate. To better understand the involvement of the French bishops in the march, Maria Chiara Biagioni, for SIR Europe, interviewed Msgr. Hippolyte Simon, bishop of Clermont-Ferrand and Vice-President of the French Bishops’ Conference. One of the largest demonstrations in Paris, January 13 against the draft law "Marriage for All". Will French bishops participate? "I cannot provide an accurate answer because I do not know if some bishops will be physically present at the event. The president of our Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Vingt-Trois declared that he will not take part in the march. However it is likely that he will go to greet the protesters. But he will not participate in the event itself. For His Eminence, this event raises a question that first of all concerns parents, citizens and family associations. Thus is not confessional. It may be, however, that some bishops, in their personal capacities, may accompany the protesters of their own diocese. Some have already marched on Nov. 17 in their provinces. For my part I can say that I will not go. I met the people who organized the march in my diocese. But as I have explained to the TV Kto, if you give this event a confessional character, it risks loosing its significance. It would give arguments to those who want to confine the protest to a given religious realm so as to discredit it further. Namely, it is an issue that calls into question all citizens, because the project significantly modifies the Civil Code and, therefore, the very concept of civil marriage". What is the Church’s position vis a vis the draft bill? And what is the most worrying aspect of the new legislation?"We asked all citizens to carefully study the bill, that can be found online. If you read it, you will see that this bill undermines many articles of the Civil Code. In fact, in order to grant formal equality to all couples, the project aims to change all terms such as father, mother, husband and wife with neutral terms such as parents, spouses, etc. We believe, however, that it is not reasonable to weaken fatherhood, motherhood and, most importantly, the parent-child relationship of the majority of children. We must, that is, respect the right of children to know their family origins. It is important that this right is guaranteed by the Civil Code. It must be possible to guarantee the rights of children who are in single-parent families while not altering the rights of the vast majority of children". By defending the family, aren’t you worried of being confused with more traditional and conservative parts of the population? "The problem is not knowing if others consider us conservatives. The problem is to know what it is that is being preserved. We can’t allow being affected by superficial judgments. We need a deeper discernment about reality. For example, fifty years ago, at the time of Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, it was believed that marriage was a dated, conservative institution. But look at what is happening today: everyone is claiming the right to marriage, considering this request a sign of progress. It shows that fashions and ideologies are subject to change". Could you explain the "role" that the Church of France – the Churches of Europe in general – are called to play at national level?"It is a big question that needs space and time for an answer. For us, regarding also the subject of this interview, our role as bishops, as church leaders, our role is to act as the guardians. We defend an understanding of the human being, his dignity and his freedom. We have alerted the families, citizens and family associations. And now that people have read the bill with greater attention, associations and citizens are those who are manifesting their concern. We hope that policymakers will know how to interpret the significance of this march".