Adoption

As I was waking up this morning, I heard an item on the Today Programme (yes, I know, I haven't managed to wean myself off Radio 4 yet... soon!) describing how Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor had written a letter to the Government protesting about Catholic Adoption Agencies being forced to consider gay couples under the new anti-discrimination legislation.

I was quite pleased to hear that the Hierarchy had finally decided to fight back. "Goody!" I thought, "I'll be able to post something positive about the Church in England and Wales, something which doesn't involve references to the Classical Rite Mass or the New Movements..."

And then I came across the text of the letter itself, courtesy of Fr. Ray at St. Mary Magdalen's...

It was a bit of a let-down. Yes, there was a defence of Catholic teaching - of sorts. But it was worrying to see that there was no objection to adoption by homosexual couples per se... that it was all a bit fudged: it's just that Catholic Adoption Agencies can't place children with homosexual couples... they can, however, pass the details of other adoption agencies on to these couples.

Helloooo, people! Something very wrong here... isn't it a bit like saying "It's not allowed by the Church, but it's ok if you're not Catholic, then you can do what you like"?

Surely, if it is ok for homosexual couples to adopt (and it must be ok if the Catholic Adoption Agencies are passing them the details of other agencies, I mean, it can't be a moral objection) then asking for Catholic Agencies to be "let off the hook" is actually discrimination? Or am I missing something here?

*sigh* I guess clear Catholic teaching was too much to hope for...