A Catholic group in Scotland have handed an anti-gay marriage petition containing 1,000 signatures to the country’s Deputy First Minister.
Members from the Catholic Knights of St Columba handed the petition to Nicola Sturgeon, also the MSP for Glasgow Southside, at her surgery.
A public consultation on legalise gay marriage in Scotland last year attracted over 70,000 responses, making it the biggest consultation in the history of the Scottish Parliament, with the government expected to make a decision on the legislation soon.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, head of Scotland’s Catholic Church, called the idea of gay marriage ‘grotesque’ and likened it to legalising slavery.
Ms Sturgeon said: ‘Decisions will be taken in due course and, as the government has always made clear, if the decision is to legislate for same-sex marriage then there will be protections to ensure that no religious group is compelled to take part in same-sex marriage.’
Stonewall Scotland director Colin Macfarlane said the majority of Scots support equal marriage.
He said: ‘It’s right that everyone should have their say on the proposals, and that’s why the Scottish Government ran its consultation.
