Pope criticizes NZ's civil union legislation

The Pope should praise the Government's pro-family policies instead of criticising the civil union legislation, Cabinet minister David Benson-Pope said yesterday.

Mr Benson-Pope was the architect of the Civil Union Act, which was passed in a conscience vote by 65 to 55 last December.

The law had come into force in May and "the world had not come to an end".

"If the Pope was genuinely interested in the welfare of New Zealand families, he should be praising the Government's efforts to improve their wellbeing through measures such as Working for Families, rather than criticising civil unions," Mr Benson-Pope told NZPA through a spokesman.

On Friday, Benedict XVI, the new head of the Catholic Church, urged New Zealand's leaders to "ensure that the question of morality is given ample discussion in the public forum".

"There is a great need today to recover a vision of the mutual relationship between civil law and moral law," the Pope told Geoff Ward, New Zealand's new ambassador to the Vatican.

"I therefore encourage the people of Aotearoa ... to continue to take up the challenge of forging a pattern of life, both individually and as a community, in relation to God's plan for all humanity."

The Vatican's news service reported that he made the comments specifically about New Zealand at a speech to seven new ambassadors to the Holy See.

Mr Benson-Pope said the Pope's words were open to interpretation, but the Catholic Church in New Zealand said his criticism would be heeded by Christians at election time.

Pope Benedict also handed Mr Ward a written message that appeared to target the Labour Government's Civil Union legislation, which has been criticised by some religious groups as enabling gay "marriages".

"New Zealanders traditionally have recognised and celebrated the place of marriage and stable domestic life at the heart of their society and indeed continue to expect social and political forces to support families and to protect the dignity of women, especially the most vulnerable," the Pope said.

"Secular distortions of marriage can never overshadow the splendour of a life-long covenant based on generous self-giving and unconditional love."

He said "correct reason" would tell New Zealanders that the future of humanity was passed on by way of the family, which offered society a secure foundation for its aspirations.

He said New Zealand's generosity in areas such as peacekeeping and overseas aid emphasised the essential nature of human life as a divine gift.

"Today, when individuals often forget their origin and thus lose sight of their goal, they easily fall prey to whimsical social trends, the distortion of reason by particular interest groups, and exaggerated individualism," he said.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said she respected the Pope but did not agree with him on this matter.

- NZPA