Berlin, Germany, Jun 30, 2017 / 11:08 am
Archbishop Heiner Koch of Berlin expressed his regret Friday at the German parliament's vote in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, saying it had abandoned the fundamental characteristics of marriage.
"The fathers of the (German) constitution gave marriage such pride of place because they wanted to protect and strengthen those who, as a mother and father, want to give life to their children."
"I regret the fact that the legislature has given up on essential aspects of the marriage concept in order to make the latter amenable to same-sex partnerships," he said June 30.
Lawmakers in Germany's parliament voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in the country by changing the definition of marriage in their legal code to include two persons of the same sex.