Ottawa, Canada, Dec 9, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Supreme Court of Canada may have issued its judgment on same-sex marriage, but the debate isn’t over yet, said the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).
The Supreme Court released its long-awaited judgment on the constitutionality of a federal draft bill on same-sex marriage yesterday.
The 19-page judgment states that the federal government has the right to change the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples and that religious officials are protected “from being compelled by the state to perform civil or religious same-sex marriages that are contrary to their religious beliefs.”
In a statement, the bishops noted that the judgment also states that freedom of religion prevents “the compulsory use of sacred places for the celebration of such marriages.”