The Archbishop of Latvia, Zbignevs Stankevics, called on Tuesday (December 15th) to create a legal framework for same-sex couples, but also for other people wishing to live together, in addition to traditional marriage.
Read also: The Pope did not speak out for same-sex marriage
“
We should push back all ideologies and create a real legal framework that would protect all members of society,
” the Archbishop said today during a parliamentary hearing.
The Archbishop's statements come after a landmark ruling by the Latvian Constitutional Court in November which ruled that the term “
family
” does not equate to the term “
marriage
”.
According to the Tribunal, the family can include a wider range of relationships than a simple heterosexual marriage between two people of the opposite sex.
“
There is a polarization of opinions: on the one hand, signatures are collected to authorize same-sex marriages.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, there is action going on against this, but we must look for attempts to unify society, not to divide it,
”the Archbishop said.
"
We are looking for proposals that are not tainted with any ideological or religious question, we do not question the concept of traditional family but we are talking about mechanisms to protect these relationships, including between people of the same sex, which are beyond the control of the traditional definition of marriage,
”he said.
According to him, couples who issue a declaration of “
common household
”, which may also include elderly widows living together, should be granted protection under the law.
The Latvian constitution defines marriage as “
union between a man and a woman
”.
Also on Tuesday, the Catholic Bishops of Latvia sent a letter to President Egils Levits and Speaker of Parliament Inara Murniece, asking not to change the legal definition of marriage but to legalize other forms of relationships that may benefit from a legal legal protection.
Read also: Pope's support for gay "civil unions": the Vatican clarifies its words