L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s newspaper, has written the French law on gay marriage is ‘divisive’.

The Vatican publication added: ‘It is a very ideological move, something that does not respect the will of the majority.’

In fact opinion polls show 58% of French people support the new law.

The ‘Mariage Pour Tous’ bill, which was passed by the French parliament on Tuesday (23 April) was also criticized yesterday (24 April) by the Vatican’s spokesman, Federico Lombardi.

Lombardi said: ‘Marriage is between a man and a woman and everyone should know he/she has a father and a mother.’

L’Osservatore Romano added: ‘This is a divisive choice, more than something aimed at protecting every kind of relationship.

‘Jean-Marc Ayrault’s cabinet did not listen to the people who did not want the same-sex marriage. And they are not only Catholic, not all of them.’

The Vatican’s newspaper asked for a referendum on the French law.

‘This project must listen to everyone, the civil society must speak and must be listened to,’ it said.

France’s National Assembly voted for the last time to make same-sex marriage and adoption legal last Tuesday. It faces a final constitutional hurdle but it will almost certainly clear that and the first marriages are expected to be in June.

The ‘Marriage for All’ bill has divided the nation, with several large protests being held for and against equality.