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"The Catholic Church has often affirmed that here is no 'right to adopt.' It is a privilege and responsibility to be granted only to those married couples who can demonstrate, through their loving, permanent commitment to each other, their ability to make a lifetime commitment to raising a child in the best environment possible. May God bless these shepherds, their flocks and their work, and continue to grant them strength as they weather the storm which will certainly follow their bold leadership. We gladly welcome this clear, public stance for truth, religious freedom, and for children." - Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro, congratulating Illinois' Catholic bishops for their lawsuit demanding exemption from anti-discrimination laws.

Two more Catholic adoption agencies in Illinois have decided to close their doors rather than comply with the state's new civil unions law. They'd rather see children go without families. 



Glenn Van Cura, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, told The Advocate that his office is not accepting applications for new foster care or adoptive parents pending further clarification from the governor and attorney general's office. "What we want to make clear is that according to our beliefs, with any cohabitating couple, whether homosexual or heterosexual, we don't refer to licensing. It's just part of our social teaching," Van Cura said. Single individuals, whether gay or straight, have been eligible to become foster or adoptive parents, however. "We don't ask, nor is it any of our business," Van Cura said of a single applicant's sexual orientation. In a letter this week to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Catholic Charities of Peoria CEO Tricia C. Fox wrote that the suspension could be lifted if the state amended the civil unions law to allow religious services to refer same-sex couples elsewhere.

"The so-called Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act has already done more harm to religious freedom than good. The Roman Catholic diocese in Rockford has announced that it will close its doors on the church's adoption program before subjecting children to placement in homosexual homes. Like it did in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., the Catholic Church refused to violate its convictions. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before other dioceses follow suit. For the church, this is an act of self-defense. Without a religious exemption, the law makes programs like this one vulnerable to lawsuits or state budget cuts. Much to the frustration of the bill's own sponsor, the state refused to carve out special protections for the religious organizations like this one. And now the state's neediest children will be paying for it." - Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

"Homosexual behavior is always wrong, according to vast scope of Judeo-Christian history, so it is tragic to behold the State of Illinois – or any government entity – recognizing immoral same-sex relationships and treating them like marriage. Moreover, for the City of Chicago and Gov. Pat Quinn to celebrate homosexuality with a mass Civil Union ceremony June 2nd is an act of hubris and defiance toward the Creator that mocks His wonderful plan for real marriage – the sacred union of a man and a woman to produce children and family. The pandering Quinn – epitomizing the modern Democratic politician –mocks his own professed Catholicism by working tirelessly to undermine its clear moral dictates. The anti-Christian Civil Unions law must be repealed." - Porno Pete LaBarbera, who has launched a petition campaign to ban all LGBT relationship recognitions in Illinois.

Today Illinois becomes the sixth state with legalized civil unions.

Long lines are expected to form early Wednesday at the Cook County Clerk's downtown office of vital records as couples from across Chicago gather to be part of a historic moment — the issuing of the state's first civil union licenses. The doors will open at 7:30 a.m. and the clerk's office will celebrate what it calls "the momentous occasion" by awarding a special gift package to the first couple to get a license. Adding to the festive atmosphere, about 20 local businesses will be supplying gifts that will be raffled off to other couples in line. As with marriage licenses, couples will have to pay a $35 fee and wait one day before they can hold a civil union ceremony. Couples who are already registered as domestic partners in Cook County but want to enter into a civil union will get a $20 discount and their domestic partnership will be automatically dissolved.

Civil unions laws in Hawaii and Delaware have not yet gone into effect.

The red-caped loons were there!

Porno Pete LaBarbera and his merry band of KKKloset Kases staged an anti-gay marriage rally in downtown Chicago yesterday.

Opponents of the new law that will allow same-sex civil unions rallied at the Thompson Center today demanding that Illinois voters be allowed to decide the fate of the issue through referendum. Days before a measure that will give gay couples the same state rights as a married man and wife is set to take effect, opponents and supporters faced off. As busloads of protesters crowded in front of St. Peter’s Church in downtown Chicago, a counter demonstration took form on the other side of the 100 block of West Madison Street. “There’s a battle between gay rights and religious freedom,” said Peter LaBarbera, president of the group Americans for Truth, as he coached people on how to correctly complete the signature sheets on which opponents hope to collect the required 300,000 signatures. “We want to give Illinois votes the same opportunity other states have had.”

More photos can be found at the Flickr account of Chicago Man.

The first action from Porno Pete's latest hate group will be an anti-civil unions protest today in downtown Chicago. LaBarbera is once again trying to place a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on the Illinois ballot, something he laughably failed at in 2006 due to "questionable" petition signatures.

IDMI is a statewide effort to preservee the historic, traditional definition of marriaeg in the Land of Lincoln. IDMI needs to gather almost 300,000 signatures of registered Illinois voters by next April 2012 – to put an Advisory Question on the 2012 ballot asking the Illinois General Assembly to pass a Constitutional Amendment stating: “To secure and preserve the benefits of marriage for our society and for future generations of children, the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose.”

To accomplish this goal – and have Illinois join the 31 other states whose citizens have stood up for real marriage at the ballot box – we aim to gather 600,000 signatures by next year. This could help us avoid an expensive legal challenge by homosexual activists and the ACLU – who will go to any extreme to deny Illinois voters an opportunity to have their voices heard on traditional marriage.

Catholic Charities of Rockford, Illinois announced yesterday that they will suspend all foster care and adoption services rather than comply with the state's new civil unions law.

Officials cited a lack of clarity in the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, which does not specify whether religious child welfare agencies must place children with couples in civil unions. Without a specific provision protecting religious agencies, church officials said, the agency can't risk losing state contracts or facing lawsuits if it turns away gay couples or others in civil unions. State funds make up about half of Catholic Charities of Rockford's $7.5 million operating budget.

"While we understand leaving this work will be very painful for our client families, employees, volunteers, donors and prayerful supporters, we can no longer contract with the state of Illinois whose laws would force us to participate in activity offensive to the moral teachings of the church — teachings which compel us to do this work in the first place," said Frank Vonch, director of social services for the Diocese of Rockford, which includes Kane and McHenry counties.

Catholic adoption agencies in other Illinois cities say they have not yet decided whether to stay open.

Good As You tips us that the Illinois Defense of Marriage Initiative is fighting against the "proponents of communism and fascism" who want to "control the lives of the Free World" through their "unGodly behavior." OK, then.

Catholic Charities of Peoria, Illinois says that it will continue to deny its adoption services to gay people despite the recent failure of a bill that would have exempted them from anti-discrimination laws. Civil unions go into effect in Illinois on June 1st.

"The Catholic Church is not going to be OK with Catholic Charities processing applications from anyone in a civil union," said Trish Fox, who runs Catholic Charities of Peoria. "And all we're asking is that we can continue what we've always done, which is refer cohabitating couples, heterosexual or homosexual, to another agency."

The group says they'll close their doors before complying with the law. Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue offers his congratulations.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria does not discriminate between heterosexuals or homosexuals. It simply defends the institution of marriage. Heterosexual men and women who cohabit are no different from homosexual couples who live together: neither are married and both are therefore disqualified from receiving the sponsorship of Catholic adoption services. They can go elsewhere, and are indeed advised of alternative services by Catholic Charities. But no one has a right to demand that a religion forfeit its doctrinal prerogatives by bowing to the secular creed of the state in matters of marriage and the family. Those who truly believe in diversity will respect the plea for pluralism made by Catholic Charities. If separation of church and state means anything, it means the right of religious bodies to practice their faith without state encroachment.

Except, of course, when religious bodies receive massive public assistance.