Posts Tagged ‘Civil unions’

New stats show fewer marriages, civil unions and divorces

Monday, May 9th, 2022
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New Stats NZ data shows fewer people are getting married, celebrating civil unions and being granted divorces. In fact, the 2021 stats show New Zealand’s marriage and divorce numbers are the lowest since the 1970s. Marriages and Civil Unions Stats NZ says last year 15,657 marriages and civil unions were registered to New Zealand residents. Read more

Pope’s gay civil union comments taken out of context

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

The Vatican says comments by Pope Francis on civil union laws in a documentary last month were taken out of context and did not signal a change in Church doctrine on homosexuals nor support for same-sex marriage. It said Francis did not question the Catholic dogma of marriage being between a man and a woman. Read more

Pope Francis and civil unions

Monday, November 2nd, 2020
civil unions

Catholics recently woke up to surprising—and for many of us, welcome—news: the pope had come out in favour of civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. “They’re children of God and have a right to a family,” he’d been recorded saying on footage included in the feature-length documentary, Francesco, which had just premiered. “Nobody should Read more

Same-sex civil unions supported by Pope Francis

Thursday, October 22nd, 2020
same-sex civil unions

Pope Francis has again indicated support for same-sex civil unions. His most recent comments were made in “Francesco,” a new documentary on his life and ministry. The film premiered Oct. 21 as part of the Rome Film Festival. In the film, Francis says that “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. Read more

Forced marriage bill extended to civil unions and de facto relationships

Thursday, May 31st, 2018

Teenagers wanting to have a civil union or de facto relationship will soon require approval from a judge. Parliament is considering a bill in the name of National MP Joanne Hayes which is designed to protect 16 and 17 year-olds from forced marriage in New Zealand. Continue reading

Why marriage still matters

Friday, November 11th, 2016

‘How’s married life?” People ask it in a slightly mocking tone, as if it’s rather quaint to think that married life should be any different from unmarried life. One year in, however, I’ve been surprised to find that it is different – in a good way. This idea is increasingly out of fashion. Nearly half Read more

Cardinal slams gay marriage as Trojan horse against family

Friday, November 14th, 2014

Gay civil unions and same-sex marriages are a “Trojan horse” that fundamentally weakens the institution of the family, a senior cardinal has warned. Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the head of the Italian Bishops Conference, said that civil unions between gay men and women only serve to “confuse people” and undermine traditional family life. This is especially Read more

Synod secretary backs rights for people in same-sex unions

Friday, October 17th, 2014

The synod on the family’s special secretary has given a qualified support to legal recognition of the rights of people in same-sex unions. At a press conference after the release of the synod’s half way report (relatio), Archbishop Bruno Forte said “it seems obvious to me that humans have different experiences [and] have rights that Read more

New Zealanders waiting longer before marriage

Tuesday, May 6th, 2014

New Zealanders are marrying later than in the past. Statistics from the 2013 census released on 5 May show that in 2013, the median age at first marriage was 30.1 years for men and 28.6 years for women – up from 27.3 and 25.2 years in 1993. Although the median age at first marriage has Read more

Pope sees scope for pastoral response to contraception ban

Friday, March 7th, 2014

In an interview, Pope Francis has discussed artificial contraception, non-marital civil unions, clergy sex abuse and the role of women in the Church. The wide-ranging interview, marking the first anniversary of Francis’s pontificate, was published in Italy and Argentina. Pope Francis praised Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical “Humanae Vitae”, which prohibited the use of contraception. Read more