Pope defends traditional family, right to religious education

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI criticized "aggressive social and political policies" that threaten to undermine the traditional family based on marriage between a man and a woman."In much of modern Europe the vital cohesive role that the family has to play in human affairs is being called into question and even endangered," the pope told Janos Balassa, Hungary's new ambassador to the Vatican.Welcoming the new ambassador Feb. 2, the pope expressed his hope that ways would be found to safeguard the family. The family, he said, is an essential element of society, the "heart of every culture and nation," and helps build peaceful community relations at every level.One way to support the family, the pope said, is to make sure parents can be the primary educators of their children, which includes being able to choose whether their children attend a religious school.The pope said many European countries have been questioning the nature of or endangering the family because of "misguided ways of thinking that at times find expression in aggressive social and political policies."Hungary is set to consider new legislation that would publicly recognize homosexual unions.Hungary's parliament approved a law in 2007 that would have allowed unmarried and same-sex couples to register as legal partnerships. But just weeks before the law was to take effect Jan. 1, 2009, the nation's constitutional court declared the law unconstitutional because it duplicated the institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman.However, the court declared that legislation concerning registered partnerships which only included same-sex couples would not be unconstitutional.It is expected that a new bill, which would give registered gay partners the rights of inheritance and joint taxation -- but not the right to adopt children -- will be submitted to the parliament in February.To date, five European nations have passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage, while 14 others recognize civil unions and registered partnerships between same-sex couples.END

POPE-HUNGARY Feb-2-2009 (340 words) xxxi