Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 9, 2011 / 09:27 am
Brazil’s Supreme Court has issued a ruling making same-sex unions equivalent to marriage.
Auxiliary Bishop Henrique Soares Costa of Aracaju, Brazil said the court’s ruling was anti-democratic and shameful.
The justices unanimously ruled on May 5 that same-sex couples should receive all rights and benefits given to traditional marriage.
Bishop Soares Costa testified on May 4 before the court in defense of marriage between one man and one woman, as established by Brazil’s Constitution.
The Brazilian bishop’s legal counsel, Hugo Cysneiros, told the court “plurality has its limits.” He noted that chapter 7 of the country’s constitution explicitly states that marriage is “a stable union between a man and a woman as a family entity.”
“The Episcopate’s intention is not to bring its catechism into this place, but rather to call for reasoning based on the constitution,” he told the justices.