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February 13, 2013
Top Catholic accepts defeat, says gay marriage will be law

Archbishop of Southwark Peter Smith has said while marriage equality may be an inevitability, 'it does not mean we approve'

The Archbishop of Southwark has said he has accepted defeat and same-sex marriage will become law in England and Wales.

Peter Smith, who is also vice-president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said he has reluctantly accepted the government proposals.

Giving evidence to the committee of MPs working on the next stage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, Smith’s comments come after the House of Commons voted in an overwhelming majority for marriage equality.

January 28, 2013
Catholics deliver one million anti-gay marriage postcards

Archbishop of Southwark Peter Smith asked parishioners to mail their anti-gay views to parliament

A leading British Archbishop has distributed one million anti-gay marriage postcards for churchgoers to mail to parliament.

Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, asked people against marriage equality to tell their local members of parliament to vote against the plans in England and Wales.

It comes as part of a last ditch effort to stop the coming legislation, which could be given a free vote in parliament as early as 5 February.

January 28, 2013
UK Catholic Church says 'time to act is now' against gay marriage

The Roman Catholic Church launched a last ditch attack against the UK government’s plans for gay marriage 

The Roman Catholic Church has launched a last minute attack against the UK government’s plans to legalize gay marriage, 10 days before the vote.

In a letter on behalf of The Catholic Bishops' Conference, Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Rev Peter Smith, the second most senior active Catholic cleric in England and Wales, told priests: ‘The time to act is now’ against gay marriage.

April 28, 2012
Catholic leader urges all faiths to unite against gay marriage

Pope representative Archbishop Antonio Mennini has attacked government plans to legalise civil marriage for same-sex couples

The Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the Pope’s representative in Britain, is urging all Christians, Jews, and Muslims to unite against gay marriage.

In a statement made to Catholic bishops from England and Wales, the Apolistic Noncio called for closer co-operation with other faiths in fighting government plans to legalise gay marriage.

At a meeting in Leeds held yesterday (27 April), he said: ‘I wonder if we shouldn’t ask for and look for more support among other Christian denominations and indeed, persons of other faiths.’

March 12, 2012
Tony Blair ‘strongly supports’ gay marriage

The ex-PM, who introduced same-sex civil unions in 2005, lends his support amidst opposition from the Catholic Church

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a Catholic convert since 2007, has announced his support for David Cameron’s proposal to legalize gay marriage.

Blair’s endorsement defies the Catholic Church’s campaign against gay marriage, which intensified on Sunday as a letter from Catholic Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Peter Smith denouncing gay marriage was read aloud in 2,500 Catholic Churches in England and Wales.

March 11, 2012
Peter Tatchell: Catholic church preaches division and discrimination

Gay rights activist responds to Catholic leaders' campaign against gay marriage

As Catholic leaders across Britain urge their congregations to oppose same-sex marriage during Sunday mass, activist Peter Tatchell has issued a statement condemning the churches' 'demeaning and devaluing' views.

In response to a letter which Catholic Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Peter Smith have issued to 2,500 parish churches across the UK, Tatchell says:

March 6, 2012
Catholics to be told oppose gay marriage in church masses

Leader of Catholic church in England and Wales urges congregations to protect the true meaning of marriage

Catholics in England and Wales will be urged to oppose gay marriage during masses in 2,500 churches on Sunday (11 March).

In a letter written by Archbishop of Westminster the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, congregations are called on to protect the true meaning of marriage by taking part in a national consultation on the British government's plans for equal marriage rights and to lobby their MPs.

February 9, 2012
Colorado student charged for Romney 'glitter bombing'

Peter Smith faces misdemeanor charges for flinging glitter toward GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney

Peter Smith, a 20-year-old University of Colorado Boulder student, has been charged for throwing glitter at Mitt Romney after the candidate’s speech in Colorado on Tuesday.

Smith, who faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 (€754) fine if convicted, said he has no regrets about his pro-gay protest.