Catholic groups to stage "Family Day" rally in Italy

May 11, 2007, 10:15 GMT

Rome - Italian Catholic groups plan to gather in a Roman square on Saturday to defend the traditional family and voice their opposition at government plans to legalise same-sex unions.

The so-called 'Family Day' rally is backed by conservative politicians and enjoys the tacit endorsement of the Church hierarchy. Organizers expect at least 100,000 people to attend.

The protest was called after Romano Prodi's centre-left government approved a so-called Dico bill granting new rights to de facto couples, including gays.

Overwhelmingly Catholic Italy is one of the few countries in Europe that still doesn't recognise gay couples.

The bill is currently languishing in parliament due to strong opposition from pro-Vatican lawmakers, including several ministers in office.

Posters promoting Saturday's Family Day show a picture of a man, a woman and two children made of Lego bricks above the battle cry: 'The family builds the future of everyone.'

'Granting legal status to de facto couples would encourage separations and make the young less responsible,' said Florence Archbishop Ennio Antonelli, whose diocese is expected to send several thousand people to Rome.

The rally comes amid growing tension between Italy's Catholics and lay groups.

Last week, the Vatican's official daily, L'Osservatore Romano, caused a stir by branding 'a terrorist' a comedian who had criticised the pope during a May Day concert.

The Osservatore's editorial came just days after the head of Italy's Bishops Conference, Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, received death threats because of his opposition to the Dico bill.

Saturday's rally in Piazza San Giovanni will fall on the 33rd anniversary of a referendum called to endorse the legalisation of divorce. That referendum was backed by 60 per cent of voters in spite of strong opposition from the Vatican.

Italian lay groups and leftwingers plan to stage a counter-demonstration in Rome's Piazza Navona.