Catholic adoption charity loses gay exemption bid

The Charity Commission has turned down a Catholic charity’s appeal to place children in need of adoption with heterosexual couples only.

Leeds-based charity Catholic Care was seeking an exemption from sexual orientation laws that require it to consider placing children with homosexuals.

It wanted permission from the Charity Commission to carry out its adoption work in accordance with Roman Catholic beliefs, which regard homosexuality as a sin.

The High Court agreed earlier this year that it would be within law for an exemption to be made for the charity, which has provided adoption services for over 100 years.

The Charity Commission was asked by the High Court to reconsider the case but announced today that “it would not be justified in the circumstances for the charity to discriminate in this way”.

In its final decision, the Commission said it “does not consider that in this case the charity has established that there are particularly convincing and weighty reasons justifying the proposed discrimination”.

It argued that it was in the interest of adoptive children that the pool of prospective parents was “as wide as possible” and that discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation “departs from the principle of treating people with equal respect”.

It added that there had been successful adoptions by same-sex couples and that even if Catholic Care closed down, the children could be placed with prospective parents through “other channels”.

The ruling means Catholic Care may have to close its adoption service. The charity said it was considering its options.

“The charity is very disappointed with the outcome. Catholic Care will now consider whether there is any other way in which the Charity can continue to support families seeking to adopt children in need,” said a spokesperson.

“In any event, Catholic Care will seek to register as an adoption support agency offering a service to those who were adopted in the past and are now seeking information about their background, and also to support adoptive parents already approved by Catholic Care.”

Equality laws passed in 2007 forced a dozen Catholic adoption agencies in England and Wales to change their policies so that homosexual people could adopt through them. The other 11 agencies have since closed down or cut their ties to the Catholic Church.