English Catholic leader threatens to close adoption agencies

The Roman Catholic Church is threatening to close its seven adoption agencies in England and Wales if the government doesn't exempt it from upcoming laws banning antigay discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services.
English church head Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has written to Cabinet ministers threatening to shut the agencies down rather than be forced to place children with gay couples.
"[I]t would be unreasonable, unnecessary and unjust discrimination against Catholics for the government to insist that if they wish to continue to work with local authorities, Catholic adoption agencies must act against the teaching of the Church and their own consciences," he said.
The government responded Jan. 25 that the best the church can hope for is a delay in applying the laws to religious institutions, to allow them to make necessary adjustments.
The new laws already have come into force in Northern Ireland and are scheduled to take effect in the rest of the United Kingdom in April.