Spain: Church slams gay marriage

MADRID, July 5 (UPI) -- A prominent Spanish religious leader said the new law recognizing same-sex unions was a threat to families and faith.

Speaking from the Vatican, Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela, the archbishop of Madrid, said homosexual marriages "affect the stability of the family and God," El Mundo reported Tuesday.

Last week Spanish lawmakers passed a law that gives homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, including inheritance and pension rights.

In the weeks and months leading up to the law's passage, anti-gay marriage activists, Spain's conservative politicians and church officials adamantly criticized the bill and called for its rejection.