Anglicans back Catholics on gay adoption

LONDON, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Leaders of the Anglican Church endorse Roman Catholic adoption agencies in their bid to be exempt from British laws banning discrimination against gays.

In a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, and John Sentamu, archbishop of York, argue that the country's laws already support rights of conscience, for example by allowing doctors who oppose abortion to refuse to perform them, the BBC reported.

"Rights of conscience cannot be made subject to legislation, however well-meaning," the two leaders said.

The issue has appears to have divided the Labor Party with Blair, who has close ties ot the Catholic Church but remains an Anglican, looking for a way out. Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, a Catholic, supports an exemption.

But others say that there is no reason for an exemption in the Equality Act, which takes effect in April.

"We can't have exemptions in law because it gets us into terrible precedents which can then go into other areas of law," said Angela Eagle, a Labor member of Parliament.