Harriet Harman hits back after Pope slams UK equality laws

Backlash: the Pope criticised UK laws
12 April 2012

Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman today hit back after the Pope attacked "unjust" British laws designed to give equal rights to homosexuals.

Benedict XVI suggested that equality legislation championed by Ms Harman ran contrary to "natural law" and restricted Catholics' freedom to act "in accordance with their beliefs".

His remarks were seen as an attack on Ms Harman's Equalities Bill, currently going through Parliament, which Catholics fear could force them to employ sexually active gay people in churches or faith schools.

Ms Harman said she had tried to clarify the law to protect the right of churches to appoint who they want as priests but was defeated in the Lords after an outcry from bishops.

In her first remarks since the Pope's comments, the minister for equality, said: "We have never insisted on non-discrimination legislation applying to religious jobs such as being a vicar, a bishop, an imam or a rabbi.

"Religious organisations can decide themselves how to do that. However, when it comes to non-religious jobs, those organisations must comply with the law."

Speaking to English and Welsh Catholic bishops yesterday in Rome, the Pope said the effects of some equality legislation had been "unjust".

"Your country is well-known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity," he said. "Yet, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs.

"In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded."

His remarks drew a fierce response from campaigners and politicians. Labour MEP Stephen Hughes said: "As a Catholic, I am appalled. Instead of criticising the UK's plans to improve its legislation, the Pope should ensure that existing EU legislation is properly applied in the Vatican."

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "The Pope's criticism that British equality legislation violates the natural law' is a coded attack on the legal rights granted to women and gay people. His ill-informed claim that our equality laws undermine religious freedom suggests he supports the right of churches to discriminate in accordance with their religious ethos."

The National Secular Society said it would protest against the Pope's planned visit to Britain in September.

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