BY Ian Dunn | July 17 | 
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No Scottish cabinet decision on marriage
The Scottish Government has again failed to reach a decision on whether to legalise same-sex ‘marriage.’
Consultation responses on same-sex ‘marriage’ topped the agenda at the Scottish Cabinet meeting at the First Minister’s official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh at 2pm today. Following the delay last Tuesday, the date previously given by the Scottish Government for a decision, a Government spokesperson confirmed earlier that a decision on the issue was expected to be made during today’s cabinet meeting of senior SNP politicians. However no announcement has been made.
Today’s events mark the latest in a number of delays on the issue—which have seen the announcement pushed back repeatedly—and comes after a call from Cardinal Keith O’Brien this week for a referendum on the legal definition of marriage because of ‘intense public interest’ in the issue.
Close to 80,000 people responded to a government consultation—a much bigger response than the 26,000 who commented on the consultation over independence. The umbrella group Scotland for Marriage, which includes the Catholic Church, believes the majority of Scots who responded to the marriage consultation are against redefining marriage.
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The response to the consultation should have been a clear enough message to the Scottish government. But they probably take comfort – as must Westminster – when they see images from the Word Pride 2012 march in London. There we see the former director of CAFOD with his ‘partner’ representing the Soho masses community wearing t-shirts saying “All are welcome at Soho Masses” on the front and “Nobody knows I’m Catholic” on the back. While this is allowed to continue without clear condemnation from the bishops then those outside the Church can be forgiven for thinking that Cardinal O’Brien is out of step and can be ignored. I find it rather ironic that the Soho masses community think it’s a good thing to boast that “Nobody knows I’m Catholic” – surely that’s an admission of failure!