Atheists charge that in politicizing the issue of gay marriage and pressuring lawmakers, the Holy See is acting as a Foreign Lobbyist. The issue also raises questions about the special diplomatic ties between the United States government and the Vatican.

he Vatican Thursday stepped up its campaign against the growing legal recognition of same sex unions and increasing tolerance of homosexuality by ordering Roman Catholics -- and especially Catholic politicians -- to oppose gay marriages and adoptions.

   In an incendiary 12-page document issued in several languages, the Holy See laid out its battle plan for pressuring Catholic lawmakers confronted by legislation that would legalize gay unions and adoptions. The position paper, "Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition for Unions Between Homosexual Persons," ordered Catholic politicians to openly combat any legislation.

   "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family.

   "To vote in favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral."

   The document was issued by the Holy See's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the successor to the Office of the Inquisition, and signed by Prefect Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Secretary Angelo Amato. It relied extensively on earlier statements from Pope John Paul II, including letters to church officials regarding homosexual couples, the Catholic Catechism and papal encyclicals. In several section, natural law and order was cited as a reason for condemning homosexuality; references there included the writings of Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas.

   In the introduction, the paper described homosexuality as "a troubling moral and social phenomenon, even in those countries where it does not present significant legal issues."

   It stated that marriage "was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose," and "exists solely between a man and a woman, who by mutual personal gift, proper and exclusive to themselves, tend toward the communion of their persons. In this way, they mutually perfect each other, in order to cooperate with God in the procreation and upbringing of new human lives."

   Homosexual activity was described as "objectively disordered" and "gravely contrary to chastity."

   "Marriage is holy," declared the Holy See, "while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law."

   Such acts "close the sexual act to the gift of life" and "do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.

   "Under no circumstances can they be approved..."

   The transition from the Vatican condemning a certain practice (gay marriages, homosexual behavior) to calling for political action has resulted in a growing backlash against the Holy See, and even questions over its legal status as both a religious body and government.

   American Atheists President Ellen Johnson told media that the latest diktat from the Vatican hierarchy crossed the line.

   "Any group has the right to speak out on any issue," Johnson declared. "But the Holy See's latest document is not some philosophical treatise or Op-Ed piece. It is a political action plan that seeks to bully Catholic lawmakers and voters. It amounts to a foreign government that enjoys diplomatic relations with the United States and other countries openly and actively trying to interfere in our nation's internal politics."

   Johnson added, "Imagine if the mullahs in Iran or Saudi Arabia started telling Americans that we should legislated Islamic 'Sha'ria' law. There would be an uproar!"

   There was other national and international reaction as well:

   ¶       In Australia, prominent Catholic lawmakers responded to the Vatican's culture war battle plan by warning the Holy See to stay out of government matters.

   "MPs (Members of Parliament) should decide issues strictly on their merits," said Labor Party member Laurie Brereton. "The separation of church from state is fundamental to our system."

   Liberal Party lawmaker Christopher Pyne told reporters for the Herald Sun newspaper, "I have a firm belief in the separation of church and state ... so, while the Catholic Church is entitled to its opinion, it's no more than an opinion and I don't feel bound by any direction from anyone."

   Still, it was obvious that the Inquisition's latest broadside might have an impact with some officials. The Sun noted that several government leaders including Communications Minister Richard Alston and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbot refused comment.

   A spokesperson for a gay Catholic group, though, raised the alarm about the impact the document could have on governments in South America, Asia and Africa where the Vatican has intensified its political and diplomatic activity.

   "Attempting to interfere in this way in democratic processes is outrageous," said Michael Kelley of the Rainbow Sash organization. "It shows the Vatican has yet to come to terms with modern, pluralist societies and the rights of all citizens under the law."

   ¶       In Europe, there was near unanimous condemnation of the Holy See's document in the pages of major newspaper.

   Der Standard, an Austrian daily editorialized, "There's no use talking about it too long, this Catholic Church cannot be saved."

   Everything learned over the past century about how people might live should have resulted in a more tolerant society, but the message has not reached the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. "This is like a statement made by scholars who have been locked away for years in a heavenly dungeon," noted the paper.

   Another Austrian paper, Salburger Narchrichten charged that the Vatican "is using intolerance and hate" in its campaign to legislate against same sex unions. An editorial also said that the Church was exposing its own phobias about consensual sex, and frustration in not being able to use religious law to control human behavior.

   The German daily Neue Presse was even more blunt. "You can still count on the old men in the heart of Rome. Like a rock in the middle of an inferno, the Vatican is defiant despite all the developments of modern society."

   As with other editorials appearing on the continent, Neue Presse said that while the Holy See had a right to express it opinions, it went too far in trying to order Catholic politicians and lawmakers around the world to oppose any legislation that would permit same-sex marriages. It also questioned the philosophical reasoning in the Vatican document. "In the modern times, just what exactly is this so-called 'natural moral law' that homosexuals allegedly violate?"

   ¶       In Rome, Atheists and members of the Radical Party poured into the streets outside the Vatican with banners and signs blasting the Holy See's battle cry against homosexual unions. The maverick group has been active in civil liberties and state-church issues throughout Italy, and is described by one British newspaper as "a master at grabbing attention with Gandhi-style passive resistance and publicity stunts which taunt the Pope and claim the moral high ground."

   Banners openly proclaimed in Italian "Atheism and Liberty."

   During the 1970s, the Radicals led the successful fight to legalize divorce and abortion in Italy despite staunch opposition from the Vatican.

   In 2001, Radical Party candidate Luca Coscioni called for reversing the Italian state ban on stem cell research, telling voters that Catholic bullying had intimidated mainstream political parties into an anti-science consensus that denied hope to millions of ill people.

   In the United States, there has been growing criticism of the Vatican culture-war battle plan, especially over the Holy See's insistence that Catholic voters and politicians tow the line on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

   Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry scolded the Vatican for ordering Roman Catholic lawmakers like himself to obey some "moral duty" in opposing gay rights.

   "I believe in the church and I care about it enormously," said Mr. Kerry. "But I think it's important to not have the church instructing politicians. That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in America."

   Kerry is on record as opposing same sex marriages, but says that alternative arrangements should be made to provide homosexual couples with equal rights.

   Legislators across the country braced for a new wave of statutes opposing gay marriage; but in some states like Wisconsin, efforts to pass any "marriage defense" legislation is apt to fall short, said state Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). Sen. Frank Boyle (D-Superior) told Associated Press that he will reintroduce legislation that calls for the creation of a state domestic partnership registry, which provide same-sex couples with many of the legal benefits of marriage including parental responsibilities and joint property rights. Boyle, who is Roman Catholic said that he hoped the proposal would permit domestic partnership, and thus skirt the more incendiary issue of legalized gay marriages. He added that most American Catholics often do not follow orders from the Holy See, and that the Church has lost credibility due to the ongoing pedophile scandal within clerical ranks.

   Other Catholics in the state Assembly, though, including Speaker John Gard (R-Peshtigo) parroted the Vatican line for reporters that marriage should be limited to men and women. Rep. Lorraine Seratti (R- Spread Eagle) said that even a same-sex registry would violate the principles of her Church and the institution of marriage.

   In an unusual move, the conservative New York Daily News blasted the Holy See position paper with an editorial headlined "Vatican's old men just got more out of touch."

   It blasted the pedophile scandal, noting that the church "has been battered by the behavior or liars, hypocrites and obstructers of justice in Roman collars.

   "Then, just when you think it's safe to relax, the Pope and the isolated crew around him issue their latest assault against homosexuals. This was predictable because the Vatican -- hey, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church -- is petrified by sex."

   Spokespersons for Dignity, USA -- an organization of gay Catholics --denounced the Vatican screen as an effort "to intimidate public officials across the globe into doing what the Vatican has not been able to do on its own -- stem the growing tide for justice.

   But in Great Britain, the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association called upon homosexuals in the pews to sever their links with an oppressive clerical institution. Spokesperson Terry Sanderson declared, "It is clear that the Vatican has declared open war on gay people around the world, and it is important that we hit back. The first thing is for all those gay people who have been born Catholic to actively renounce their connections with the Church."

   He encouraged gays to send a letter to the diocese in which they were born stating "that they no longer wish to be regarding as a Catholic, and making clear why." Sanderson described the latest Holy See report as "an insulting attack" and "the last straw.

   "Gay people who have been contributing to the Church with money and resources should stop doing so immediately. They should stop conspiring with their persecutors and instead fight back to ensure the safety and happiness of gay people around the world." Mr. Sanderson added that the Vatican pronouncement invited homophobic governments to further oppress gay people.

   "There are some Catholic countries, particularly in South America, that already persecute and violate gay people," warned Sanderson. "The Pope seems to want to encourage that. The Vatican's document is anti-democratic, in that encourages Catholic politicians to vote against their conscience, and for Catholic dogma."

   GLHA is also offering a "Debaptism Certificate" that can be downloaded from its web site at http://www.secularism.org.uk/baptism.htm.

   In Washington, President Bush announced that his administration would take action to guarantee that the term "marriage" applied only to unions between men and women. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill also declared that they would pass a constitutional amendment, if necessary, to pre-empt any gay marriage legislation or even a Supreme Court decision that might legitimize the practice.

   Religious and political groups have expressed concern that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down an antiquated and reactionary anti-sodomy law in Bush's home state of Texas could pave the way for homosexual unions. The Massachusetts state Supreme Judicial Court has taken up the issue of same-sex marriages in a lawsuit filed by seven gay partners who want the state to grant them marriage licenses.

   The same court allowed a lesbian to adopt her partner's biological child in a landmark 1993 case. Six years later, justices gave visitation rights to a lesbian's former partner, ruling that the woman who helped raise the boy was a "de facto" parent.

   Should the Massachusetts court legalize homosexual unions, that could pave the way for heightened battles over gay marriage in other areas, including the 37 states that have some sort of "Defense of Marriage" statutes on the books. In 1996, a federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed, but it too could come under legal scrutiny.

   All of this comes in the midst of an enormous cultural debate and shift over homosexuality.

   In New York, the city is establishing the first public gay high school much to the consternation of religious and political conservatives. Major newspapers across the nation are supporting the legalization of gay marriage, or at least the creation of some kind of "civic union" that would give homosexuals the same legal rights as married, heterosexual couples.

   There are more subtle indications, too, that attitudes about gays are changing.

   The outrage over the mid-1990s sitcom "Ellen" and the first lesbian kiss on television has died. Instead, there are now surprise TV hits like "A Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" where confused and even feckless straight men receive dressing and even dating advice from a gaggle of gay style gurus. "Boy Meets Boy" is a gay dating show carried on the Bravo network, and builds upon the M-TV program "Dismissed" which occasionally featured gay contestants seeking to hook up.

   While Americans may tolerate "camp" behavior and gay dating via mediating electronic media, they may not be ready to accept the notion of gay marriage. A recent Pew Research Poll revealed that 53% of Americans still oppose homosexual unions. Another survey conducted last week by CNN-Gallup showed a backlash against the Supreme Court for striking down the Texas law. The poll reflected that support for legalized homosexual relations stood at 48%, down from a high of 60% in May.

   Pollster John Zogby told Reuters news service, "While there is more openness and a broader acceptance of gays, among certain people as more and more people come out of the closet, that just drives the other side crazy."

   Out Magazine editor Brendan Lemon, though, dismissed the plunge in numbers saying "What is more important is that the visibility of gay people, whether it be in politics, entertainment or day-to-day life has become much greater, and that is much more important."

   In addition to stirring the debate over gay marriage, the Vatican's latest pronouncement may also raise the long-overdue question of the U.S. government's official recognition of the Holy See as both a religious and political entity.

   That is a status that no other religious institution enjoys. While delegations from faith-based groups regular flow through the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., the Roman Catholic Church enjoys a unique relationship with the United States going back over half-a-century.

-    While the Holy See (the moniker used to describe the governmental "face" of the Roman Catholic Church) occupies only a sliver of property about 70% the size of the Capitol Mall in Washington, it maintains a network of diplomatic listening posts, legations and offices in over 100 countries, and the United Nations where it has special "observer status." The United States has had some kind of diplomatic tie to the Vatican for nearly two centuries; but it was during the administration of President Ronald Regan that America formally established full relations complete with an exchange of ambassadors.

   That unique relationship troubles those who see the latest document pressuring American legislators as inappropriate.

   "The Roman Catholic Church has the best of both worlds," said Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists. "It enjoys the 'special rights' religious groups enjoy in our country, but it also benefits from having formal diplomatic ties with the United States."

   Johnson noted that the Vatican's unique status at the United Nations has also permitted it to wield unusual influence at international conferences, especially over hot-button issues like abortion rights, population control and freedom of expression.

   She noted that while the Vatican has the right to speak out on matters of conscience, "it's another kettle of fish when the Pope and the Inquisition office start threatening Catholic voters and legislators on internal matters regulated, ultimately, by the will of the people and the American constitution."

   Johnson suggested that American church officials who begin organizing against specific legislation, or calling for the removal of "offending" politicians, may be violating laws regulating the conduct of foreign lobbyists.

   "We've had plenty of scandals over the years where foreign nations have tried to meddle in the American electoral process," said Johnson. The most recent involved allegations that China and South Korea had poured money into the Clinton-Gore White House campaign, in an attempt to curry favor and affect electoral outcomes.

   "This is exactly what the Vatican is doing. It's telling our lawmakers how to vote, and threatening them with penalties if they do not comply," said Johnson. "This may start a dialogue over whether it is appropriate to maintain the special diplomatic status with the Vatican, and allow it to continue to exert undue influence at the United Nations."

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