Mexican bishop: Court did not uphold justice by allowing gay couples to adopt

Mexico City, Mexico, Aug 17, 2010 / 07:50 am

Bishop Felipe Arizmendi from San Cristobal, in southern Mexico, recently criticized the Mexican Supreme Court's decision to allow adoptions by same-sex couples. He noted that the court likely “acted according to the letter of the law, but certainly not according to justice.”

The court's Monday ruling was the third and final decision on gay couples and their right to “marriage.” First, the court upheld Mexico City's same-sex "marriage" law, then it ruled that same-sex couples “married” in Mexico City are validly married in all 31 states, even if those states do not legalize same-sex “marriage” themselves.

On Monday, the 11 justices voted 9-2 against challenges presented by federal prosecutors who had argued that the law fails to protect adoptive children against possible negative effects or discrimination, and does not guarantee their rights to a traditional family.

Justices voting with the majority argued that once same-sex marriages were approved, it would be "discriminatory" to consider homosexual couples "less capable of parental duties" than heterosexual couples.

The law applies only in Mexico City, but other states must respect adoptions by homosexual couples made in the capital.

Despite the court’s decision, Bishop Arizmendi said, "the true members of our Catholic church will keep defending the right to life from conception to its natural end and will continue defending marriage as the stable union  between one man and one woman."

He added, "and we will keep doing it not only because of our faith, but also because of natural reason: a man cannot complement or impregnate a man, a woman cannot complement or impregnate a woman, no matter what the Supreme Court says."

Oscar Rivas, director of the Mexican Institute for Sexual Orientation, a professional organization that is opposed to same-sex adoption based on statistical data, also issued a statement yesterday expressing "disappointment" over the court's decision, since "it did not take into the account the well being of children." 

"(The court) ignored the plight of a large sector of our society who is convinced that marriage must be between one man and one woman, and that adoption is a right of the children, not of the parents." the statement added.