New Equality Laws in Ireland Could Mean the End of Catholic Adoption

Much like the hypocrites and bigots at Lutheran CORE, the Vatican intends to close all Catholic adoption agencies in Ireland rather than cooperate in any way with the adoption of parentless children by same sex couples. In the eyes of the Vatican growing up in a cold, institutional orphanage or being bounced time and time again from foster home to foster home is better than, God forbid, having a child grow up in a home with two loving same sex parents. My father grew up in an orphanage in some ways like something out of Charles Dickens - and he bore the emotional scars in my view until the day he died. Hence, I view the Vatican as full of sh*t on this issue (and many others). Not all in Ireland agree with the Church's continued anti-gay bigotry and its plan to close Catholic adoption agencies. An op-ed in the Herald takes the Catholic Church to task for its intolerance and short sightedness. Here are some highlights:
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It came as a shock to me when I heard this week that the last of England's 12 adoption societies has been forced to close. A century of good works came to an abrupt halt. They had run foul of England's new equality laws. The Vatican believes no Catholic agency can allow same-sex couples to adopt their children.
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The body that oversees English adoptions says no agency is allowed not to. This government-funded body even refers to those opposed to gay couples adopting as "retarded homophobes".
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Rome insists that a child needs a mother and a father as parents and not same-sex couples. The reality is that many Irish children are being brought up exclusively by single parents -- unmarried mothers. Would not, say, two mothers who love each other be at least as acceptable?
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Not to Pope Benedict. His decision rests on his belief that homosexuality is unnatural, a disorder, polite words for a perversion. He doesn't want to risk two perverts bringing up a Catholic child. Scientific research suggests that homosexuality is natural, if less common than heterosexuality. In any case, gays should have exactly the same civil rights as others.
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Gay couples demand no more rights than heterosexuals, nor any less. They'll obviously be granted full rights in matters like the family home, taxation, inheritance, hospital visits.
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With the hierarchy lobbying hard to prevent an outcome anathema to the Pope, will politicians dare include the right to adopt? If the bishops fail, and adoption by same-sex couples passes into law, the many Catholic adoption agencies in Ireland may have to follow their counterparts in England and shut up shop.