A Catholic Cardinal in Italy has said this week that gay couples that wish to have children are undermining traditional families and are ‘irresponsible’.

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, who is the Archbishop of Genoa and the President of the Italian Bishops Conference, is regarded as a senior figure in the church.

Addressing a meeting of Italian bishops in Umbria on Monday, he spoke out against same-sex civil unions, saying that they ‘confuse people’, especially if children are involved.

‘It is irresponsible to weaken the family by creating new forms.’

On same-sex civil unions and marriage, he said; ‘It only confuses people and has the effect of being a sort of Trojan horse, undermining culturally and socially the core of humanity.’

He said that children had, ‘a right to a mother and father.’

According to the cardinal, the traditional family is ‘the stronghold of our country: the charitable, moral and material net that protects people from feeling abandoned and alone.’

Since taking office, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has presented a more welcoming approach to LGBT people, famously replying ‘who am I to judge’ when questioned at a press conference in 2013 on the subject of gay people.

Last month, the Pope held a Synod of Bishops in Rome to discuss issues relating to the family, including divorce and same-sex marriage.

Despite some in the church wishing to take a more pro-gay stance, including the Pope, the majority of bishops at the event vetoed proposals for wider acceptance of gay people by the Catholic Church.

At the same time, some senior figures in the church were unequivocal in their opinions on gay people and the family. Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio said he could not imagine the church ever giving its blessing to same-sex unions.

‘For us, and not just for us but for human culture in general, marriage is between a man and a woman

‘To bless this type of [homosexual] union … to say that they are like [heterosexual] marriages, never. This is simply for reasons of logic and identity. To bless them is not part of the way we see Christian doctrine.’

In the same week, Cardinal Raymond Burke – then Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura – drew strong condemnation for stating the he didn’t think gay couples should be invited to family gatherings were children were present.

Since making his comments, Burke has been moved by the Pope to the position of cardinal patron of the Knights and Dames of Malta – a position widely regarded in Church circles as a demotion.

It’s thought that Cardinal Bagnasco’s comments were made in response to the announcement by some Italian mayors that same-sex marriages performed abroad should be recognized by Italian councils.

Last month, the Mayor of Rome, presided over a recognition ceremony of 16 same-sex couples – signing their names into the city’s official ledger. Each of the couples had been married abroad. A government spokesman dismissed the event, saying that it had ‘no legal value’ as registrations of same-sex unions are not possible under Italian law.

