Pope Francis is “shocked” by Malta’s proposed new civil unions bill that will permit adoption by same-sex couples, according to the 
auxiliary bishop of Malta.
Bishop Charles Scicluna has told The Sunday Times of Malta that Pope Francis encouraged him to speak out against the Maltese Civil Unions Bill that aims to legalise gay adoption.
Bishop Scicluna defended his Christmas sermon in which he condemned adoption by same-sex couples. He said Pope Francis gave the address his blessing.
The Bishop told the congregation that God’s own son was raised by a man and a woman, and not by two men or two women.
In an interview with the newspaper, Bishop Scicluna said he met with Pope Francis on 12 December, and the pair discussed “many aspects” of the Bishop’s sermon.
“When I raised the issue that’s worrying me as a bishop [gay adoption] he encouraged me to speak out,” said Bishop Scicluna.
Previously, the Bishop said that the sexual activity of heterosexual couples has a “fundamental role in producing future members of society” whereas the sexual activity of same-sex couples does not “as it does not produce offspring”.
As Argentina’s Cardinal Bergoglio, Pope Francis opposed both same-sex adoption and same-sex marriage.
Malta’s Civil Unions Bill will recognise same-sex partnerships and give them the same rights and duties as married couples.
Public Dialogue and Civil Rights Minister Helena Dalli said the Bill taken on board by the Government was exactly as it had been put forward by the consultative council on gay rights.
Cyrus Engerer, who leads the consultative council said the proposed law is based on Danish law enacted in the 1980s.
“It is a very short, succinct law that says all rights pertaining to a married heterosexual couple apply to gay partners who join in a civil union,” he said.
The Bill also makes provisions for the recognition of gay marriages contracted abroad.
The bill gives same sex couples the same rights as married couples in issues such as taxation, inheritance, child adoption and social benefits.
