News Articles
3rd June 2009
Tribunal rules Catholic charities are breaking the law over gay adoptions
(Source: Pinknews.co.uk)
The Charity Tribunal has ruled that Catholic adoption charities which refuse to serve
gay couples are breaking the law.
Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) had wanted to take advantage of a clause the the
2007 Sexual Orientation Regulations which allows charities to discriminate by amending
its charitable objectives.
It said it had a right to follow church teachings and refuse to consider gay couples.
However, the Charity Tribunal decided that the adoption agency must either take on
gay couples or be forced to close.
Following the ruling a spokesman for the diocese said: "As the charities cannot
provide unrestricted services without being in breach of their obligations to act in
accordance with the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church, it seems likely that the
charities will need to close their adoption services and a flagship service of the
charities will be lost.
"We are concerned about the possible impact this will have on potential adoptive
parents and children."
Tribunal president Alison McKenna paid tribute to Catholic Care's "significant
contribution" to adoption services, but said it had to accept gay adoptive parents.
Many other Catholic adoption agencies have chosen to abide by new discrimination
regulations and accept gay couples, although some have closed.
The Sexual Orientation Regulations 2007 outlawed discrimination on the grounds of
sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services, including adoption.
Catholic agencies were given a two-year window in which to comply with the new
rules, which ran out in December 2008.
