Latest news with #majority-Catholic
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meloni dealt blow by court's lesbian mothers ruling
Italy's highest court ruled on Thursday that two women can register as the parents of a child on a birth certificate, saying recognition of parental rights cannot be restricted to the biological mother in families with same-sex parents. The ruling was hailed as 'historic' by opposition parties in Italy and a blow to Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister and a self-declared 'Christian mother'. The hard-Right leader, whose government told city halls to stop automatically registering both parents in same-sex couples, has railed against the 'LGBT lobby' and said she would defend traditional family values in the majority-Catholic country. The court ruled that it was unconstitutional for city registers to deprive children born to same sex-parents of recognition by both the biological mother and the woman who consented to the medically assisted pregnancy and assumed parental responsibilities. It 'ruled as discriminatory the failure to recognise both mothers' on birth certificates, a decision which 'effectively becomes law', lawyer Michele Giarratano told AFP news agency. In recent years, some city registrars had begun to record only the name of the biological mother on birth certificates, and not the name of her partner. In order to have legal rights and responsibility over the child, the non-biological mother then had to 'adopt' the child. A 2004 law had provided for such limited parental recognition and encouraged by several court rulings, mayors have in recent years been registering both biological and non-biological parents on birth certificates. But in 2023, Ms Meloni's interior minister ordered town halls to stop transcribing certificates of children born abroad through surrogacy. In response, prosecutors across Italy began contesting birth certificates of children born abroad or in Italy to same-sex parents – whether through surrogacy or by other means. Non-biological mothers risked losing access to their children if their partner died or the relationship broke down, as well as suffering day-to-day stresses such as not being able to take their child to a doctor without the other parent's permission. The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that refusing to recognise women who assume parental responsibility for the child their partner carries 'does not guarantee the best interests of the minor' and violates several articles in the constitution. That included the child's right to a continuous relationship with each parent and with relatives from each parent's branch of the family, it said. 'This is a historic decision,' said Mr Giarratano, from Padua in north-east Italy. He represents 15 children in Padua, where an instruction by prosecutors to retroactively remove non-biological mothers from birth certificates turned the city into a symbol of the fight for same-sex parents' rights. Elly Schlein, head of the biggest opposition party, the centre-Left Democratic Party, said the ruling was 'a heavy political defeat' for a hard-Right coalition government which has 'used rainbow families as a political target'. Mother Soldatini, 48, said it 'cannot just be the legal system which recognises these children have a right to a family, politicians must now take the necessary step' to protect the rights of all children with same-sex parents. 'I will only uncork the champagne when all those families with two dads can toast with me,' she said. 'Now is not the time to settle.' Activists have warned of an erosion of civil rights since Ms Meloni took office in 2022, including the extension last year of the country's ban on surrogacy to couples who seek it abroad – a law which affects gay fathers in particular. On Thursday, a court in Pesaro in northern Italy ruled in favour of the adoption of a child by his non-biological father, despite the child being conceived abroad via surrogacy. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
eNCA
22-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Italy court makes 'historic' ruling for same-sex mothers
Italy's highest court ruled Thursday that women in same-sex couples who become mothers through IVF have the right to be recognised on the birth certificate even if they are not the biological parent. The ruling was hailed as "historic" by opposition parties in Italy, which is governed by self-declared "Christian mother" Giorgia Meloni. The far-right leader has railed against the "LGBT lobby" and says she defends traditional family values in the majority-Catholic country. The Constitutional Court in Rome "ruled as discriminatory the failure to recognise both mothers" on birth certificates, a decision which "effectively becomes law", lawyer Michele Giarratano told AFP. Those celebrating included Chiara Soldatini, who moved to Spain with her family last year after realising her rights were under threat. "I am happy no one will now be able to challenge the fact our son is our son," she told AFP. AFP | Tiziana FABI While civil unions became legal in Italy in 2016, same-sex couples cannot access medically assisted reproduction, and the law did not account for children conceived abroad by mothers in same-sex relationships who then give birth in Italy. Encouraged by several court rulings, local mayors have in recent years been registering both biological and non-biological parents on birth certificates. But in 2023, Meloni's interior minister ordered town halls to stop transcribing certificates of children born abroad through surrogacy. In response, prosecutors across Italy began contesting birth certificates of children born abroad or in Italy to same-sex parents -- whether through surrogacy or by other means. Non-biological mothers risked losing access to their children if their partner died or the relationship broke down, as well as suffering day-to-day stresses such as not being able to take their child to a doctor without the other parent's permission. - 'What about dads?' - The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that refusing to recognise women who assume parental responsibility for the child their partner carries "does not guarantee the best interests of the minor" and violates several articles in the constitution. That included the child's right to a continuous relationship with each parent and with relatives from each parent's branch of the family, it said. "This is a historic decision," said Giarratano, from Padua in northeastern Italy. He represents 15 children in Padua, where an instruction by prosecutors to retroactively remove non-biological mothers from birth certificates turned the city into a symbol of the fight for same-sex parents' rights. Elly Schlein, head of the biggest opposition party, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said the "historic" ruling was "a heavy political defeat" for a hard-right coalition government which has "used rainbow families as a political target". Mother Soldatini, 48, said it "cannot just be the legal system which recognises these children have a right to a family, politicians must now take the necessary step" to protect the rights of all children with same-sex parents. "I will only uncork the champagne when all those families with two dads can toast with me," she said. "Now is not the time to settle." Activists have warned of an erosion of civil rights since Meloni took office in 2022, including the extension last year of the country's ban on surrogacy to couples who seek it abroad -- a law which affects gay fathers in particular. On Thursday, a court in Pesaro in northern Italy ruled in favour of the adoption of a child by his non-biological father, despite the child being conceived abroad via surrogacy. By Ella Ide
France 24
22-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Italy court makes 'historic' ruling for same-sex mothers
The ruling was hailed as "historic" by opposition parties in Italy, which is governed by self-declared "Christian mother" Giorgia Meloni. The far-right leader has railed against the "LGBT lobby" and says she defends traditional family values in the majority-Catholic country. The Constitutional Court in Rome "ruled as discriminatory the failure to recognise both mothers" on birth certificates, a decision which "effectively becomes law", lawyer Michele Giarratano told AFP. Those celebrating included Chiara Soldatini, who moved to Spain with her family last year after realising her rights were under threat. "I am happy no one will now be able to challenge the fact our son is our son," she told AFP. While civil unions became legal in Italy in 2016, same-sex couples cannot access medically assisted reproduction, and the law did not account for children conceived abroad by mothers in same-sex relationships who then give birth in Italy. Encouraged by several court rulings, local mayors have in recent years been registering both biological and non-biological parents on birth certificates. But in 2023, Meloni's interior minister ordered town halls to stop transcribing certificates of children born abroad through surrogacy. In response, prosecutors across Italy began contesting birth certificates of children born abroad or in Italy to same-sex parents -- whether through surrogacy or by other means. Non-biological mothers risked losing access to their children if their partner died or the relationship broke down, as well as suffering day-to-day stresses such as not being able to take their child to a doctor without the other parent's permission. 'What about dads?' The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that refusing to recognise women who assume parental responsibility for the child their partner carries "does not guarantee the best interests of the minor" and violates several articles in the constitution. That included the child's right to a continuous relationship with each parent and with relatives from each parent's branch of the family, it said. "This is a historic decision," said Giarratano, from Padua in northeastern Italy. He represents 15 children in Padua, where an instruction by prosecutors to retroactively remove non-biological mothers from birth certificates turned the city into a symbol of the fight for same-sex parents' rights. Elly Schlein, head of the biggest opposition party, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said the "historic" ruling was "a heavy political defeat" for a hard-right coalition government which has "used rainbow families as a political target". Mother Soldatini, 48, said it "cannot just be the legal system which recognises these children have a right to a family, politicians must now take the necessary step" to protect the rights of all children with same-sex parents. "I will only uncork the champagne when all those families with two dads can toast with me," she said. "Now is not the time to settle." Activists have warned of an erosion of civil rights since Meloni took office in 2022, including the extension last year of the country's ban on surrogacy to couples who seek it abroad -- a law which affects gay fathers in particular. On Thursday, a court in Pesaro in northern Italy ruled in favour of the adoption of a child by his non-biological father, despite the child being conceived abroad via surrogacy. © 2025 AFP
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
When guerrilla groups lay down arms
Representative Image (AI) PARIS: The Kurdistan Workers' Party ( PKK ), which on Monday announced its dissolution and the end of its insurgency against Turkey, is not the first group to end a decades-long armed campaign. Here are some other key cases: ETA The Basque separatist group ETA, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Liberty), waged a four-decade campaign of bombings and shootings for an independent Basque country in southwest France and northeast Spain. It declared and end to its armed operations in October 2011 and announced its dissolution in May 2018. FARC On November 24, 2016 former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos signed a historic peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's biggest rebel group, in a bid to end a leftist insurgency that had lasted more than 50 years. S antos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Some groups across the country rejected the demobilisation process and regrouped in two structures: Segunda Marquetalia and Estado Mayor Central (EMC), FARC's main dissident group. Violence involving another powerful leftist group, the ELN, as well as rightwing paramilitaries and drug cartels has also continued. Moro Islamic Liberation Front A 2014 peace deal between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ended a decades-long armed campaign for a separate state, and later for Muslim self-rule in the majority-Catholic Asian nation. The deal ended a deadly armed rebellion which broke out in the 1970s in the southern Philippines. But small groups of Islamist fighters opposed to the peace deal continued to operate on the island of Mindanao. Communist rebels also continue to fight in the region. Tamil Tigers The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist group based in Sri Lanka and known as the Tamil Tigers, were crushed in May 2009 in a huge military assault, ending a 37-year civil war. According to rights groups, up to 40,000 civilians were killed in the last weeks of the war, during the army assault that eventually crushed the Tamil Tigers' command. IRA After 35 years of efforts to find peace, the breakthrough Good Friday Agreement of April 10, 1998 ended a sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland known as the "Troubles". In 2005, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) officially gave up its armed campaign. In practice it had laid down its arms in 1997 to take part in the peace talks. It had ordered its members to use peaceful methods to achieve their goal of reunifying the island and ending British sovereignty over Northern Ireland. Its weapons were decommissioned in September 2005. Some paramilitary groups nevertheless remained active, including the New IRA. Unita Angolan forces killed Jonas Savimbi, leader of Unita (the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) in February 2002, ending a 27-year civil war. A ceasefire was signed on April 4, 2002 in Luanda. UNITA then became the main opposition party.
eNCA
02-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Watchdog accuses papal contenders of ignoring sex abuse
As cardinals prepare to elect a new pope, campaigners warned Friday that neither of the frontrunners, Pietro Parolin nor Luis Antonio Tagle, would protect children and stamp out clerical sex abuse. Cardinals gathered at the Vatican ahead of the conclave starting May 7 have identified the scandal of sexual abuse of minors by priests as one of the top challenges facing the Catholic Church today. But a watchdog group warned Friday that two top papal contenders -- cardinals Parolin, who served as secretary of state under the late Pope Francis, and Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila -- would fall short. "If Cardinal Parolin becomes pope we will have a consummate secret-keeper running the Catholic Church and I think any hope of transparency around sex abuse will be dashed completely," Anne Barrett Doyle, the co-director of told a press conference just outside the Vatican walls. "No church official in the world has withheld as many documents about abuse to civil authorities as Cardinal Parolin," said Doyle, whose group tracks information on such cases. Doyle cited numerous examples of "obstruction of justice" around the world, including Chile, Britain and Poland, for which she called Parolin ultimately responsible. In one example, a four-year investigation begun in 2013 by a royal commission in Australia counted 4,400 abused children and 1,100 clerics. Pressed for documents, the Vatican handed over files on just two priests, she said. Asked by AFP about the accusations made against both cardinals, a Vatican spokesman denied to comment. - Dark ages - The Church in the Philippines, where the affable and politically influential Tagle served as archbishop of Manila between 2011 and 2019, remains in the "dark ages" on the subject of clerical sex abuse, Doyle said. Guidelines dealing with sexual abuse cases have not been published on the webpages of the Manila archdiocese nor the bishops' conference of the Philippines, she said. "If Cardinal Tagle cannot even get his brother bishops from his home country to publish guidelines, what on earth can we expect for him to achieve as pope of a global church?" asked Doyle. In the majority-Catholic Philippines, only one victim has ever come forward publicly, she said. Michal Gatchalian, a 44-year-old lawyer who spoke to journalists via videolink from the Philippines, said he was one of many boys he knew to have been groped and touched at age 17 by a "serial predator" at his church. After accusing the priest in 2002, he said he was subjected to threats, ostracism and harassment by members of his church. The priest was only defrocked in the past three years, he said. Doyle and Gatchalian both acknowledged there was no proof directly tying Tagle -- a highly respected figure in the majority-Catholic Philippines -- to any cover-ups, while cautioning that information was scant. Still, Gatchalian said, there had been "no noticeable effort" under his watch to tackle sexual abuse. "We haven't seen a proactive effort... to solve this, to prevent this," he said, adding "doing nothing is still the same as covering up." Shay Cullen, an Irish missionary priest and advocate for children in the Philippines, agreed. "I don't think Cardinal Tagle is really committed and dedicated to protecting the children. We need a fighter for the rights of the child," he said via videolink. Tagle served as the head of the world's second-largest charitable association, Caritas Internationalis, from 2015 until 2022, when he and the entire leadership team was removed by Francis after a Vatican-led audit found "deficiencies" in management and procedures. Questions were later raised by campaigners about what he knew about the hiring of Belgian priest and convicted child sex offender, Luk Delft, by Caritas in the Central African Republic. Survivors' concerns over possible popes are not limited to Parolin and Tagle, however, with Doyle saying she had "pretty much concerns about all of them". "No matter how nice a man becomes pope I don't believe the church is yet ready to change the page on child sexual abuse. I'm pessimistic."
