In the wake of massive protests on June 18 against the government’s efforts to legalize gay marriage, the National Catholic Confederation of Parents of Families and of Schoolchildren is calling on Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to “listen to what the Spanish society is asking for” and withdraw the gay marriage law from Congressional passage.

“After such vast participation one cannot claim that this law has majority support among the Spanish people, who have categorically said they are against it, regardless of ideology, political party, or religious confession,” the Confederation said.

In its statement, the Confederation reiterated its call to defend the rights of children, who must not be deprived by the State of the right to have a mother and a father, regardless of the claims by homosexual groups.

The June 18 protests, notes the statement, were organized by “important social organizations in this country which have taken the initiative to denounce an unjust law before the entire society, which affects not only marriage and childhood, but also schools, in an attempt to force them to teach that whatever is legal is right.”

The Confederation also defended the right to education and school choice, as well as the inclusion of religion as an equal part of the school curriculum on the same level as other subjects.