As for the debate concerning civil unions, Cardinal Camillo Ruini recalled the Doctrinal Note of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on 24 November 2002, according to which "under no circumstances can other forms of life in common be compared with the family based on monogamic marriage between people of different sexes. Therefore, those forms, as such, cannot be legally acknowledged". "As a matter of fact, he added, – in Italy, the family plays a fundamental social role, and contributes to children education in a very important way. At the same time, for many years we have been grappling with a very serious crisis of births, threatening the future of our Country". "Therefore, – according to Ruini, – upholding the legitimate family based on the marriage should be the common and primary task of the people in charge of the res publica… they should take care to remove all the practical obstacles (concerning dwelling, steady work for the young, structures hosting younger children…), as well as all the judicial and fiscal obstacles dissuading young couples from getting married and generating children, without nevertheless conditioning their freedom to make their own choices in the least".
