Marriage is a permanent union between a man and a woman, for their mutual love and well-being and for the procreation and upbringing of children.

This description of marriage has always been, and universally, so understood because it is in accordance with the tenets of nature.

Christ elevated marriage, which already existed in nature, to the dignity of a sacrament, when entered into between two baptised individuals. The Church continues to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ.

As a result of the introduction of divorce legislation, the State overlooks the permanence of this union and admits to another (civil) marriage people who had previously entered into a valid marriage.

What is now being proposed is another legislation, by which the civil unions between same-sex people shall be called marriage and afforded the same status as marriage between a man and a woman.

This means that the State will overlook another important quality in marriage, namely the heterosexuality of the parties. This is bound to create further ambiguity and confusion in the most fundamental unit of society, namely marriage and the family.