UK Parliament votes in favour of same-sex marriage bill - Archbishop comments

The House of Commons voted in favour of same-sex marriage in England and Wales last night, despite the opposition of almost half the Conservative Members of Parliament. MPs voted for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, by 400 to 175, a majority of 225, at the end of a seven hour debate.

Prime Minister David Cameron described the move as "an important step forward" that strengthens society. The Bill will now progress to Committee and the House of Lords and is likely to become law later this year.

Archbishop Peter Smith commented: "The Catholic Church continues to support marriage understood by society for centuries as the significant and unique lifelong commitment between a man and a woman for their mutual well-being and open to the procreation and education of children. Marriage is rooted in the complementarity of man and woman. For these reasons the Church opposes the Government’s Bill to re-define marriage. Despite claims by supporters of the Bill that the central issue is one of equality, the Bill actually seeks to re-define marriage and will have consequences for society at large.

"It became clear during today's debate in the House of Commons that the government has not thought through a number of profound problems in the Bill raised by members of Parliament during the debate. It will be extremely important that the many concerns we and others have expressed will be fully and carefully considered during the next stages of the Bill's passage through Parliament."

Among those who voted against the Bill was Conservative MP Graham Brady, who said: “I voted in favour of an equal age of consent and civil partnerships because it righted an injustice. This measure does not. I will vote against this motion tonight not because I think the world will end but because it is impossible to guarantee that religious freedoms will not be compromised.”

Stephen Timms, (Labour) said: “Children are at the heart of marriage... but they are barely mentioned at the Bill. It would be a mistake to lose the value on the creation and bringing up of children and in the end it will be children who lose out if we do.”