Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the highest‑ranking Roman Catholic clergyman in Canada, said same‑sex marriage “could bring in its wake bitter and unpredictable demographic, social, cultural and religious consequences.”

Vancouver, Canada — Churches in Canada are finding themselves on different sides in a debate about same-sex marriage as lawmakers prepare to vote on the issue after the Country’s legislature returns from a Christmas break on Jan. 31.

The Rev. Peter Short, moderator of the United Church of Canada, the country’s largest Protestant denomination, supports the government bill which would amend the marriage law to refer to the union of “two persons” rather than of “a man and a woman.”

“The General Council of the United Church of Canada believes that equal marriage is a step on the path to justice, peace, and the common good,” Short wrote in a letter to all members of parliament.

But Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the highest-ranking Roman Catholic clergyman in Canada, said same-sex marriage “could bring in its wake bitter and unpredictable demographic, social, cultural and religious consequences.”

Ouellet said the institution of marriage was for “the procreation and education of children, within the context of the love of a man and a woman,” and he said it provided a guarantee “for the future of society.”

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin on Jan. 25 defended the proposal which follows a Supreme Court decision last year that ruled the measure on same-sex marriage was constitutional.

“I am going to defend minority rights, and I am going to defend all minority rights, you cannot pick and choose,” Martin told reporters. “The Prime Minister of Canada is the Prime Minister of all Canadians.”

Still, the Supreme Court decision did not have the force of law, Cardinal Ouellet said.

“It is parliament that must decide about this matter of such great importance for the future of our society and of its fundamental values,” he said.

Same-sex marriage is already possible in seven Canadian provinces and one territory.