Italian PM Matteo Renzi Stands Up To The Catholic Church

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who has been noted to be uncharacteristically quiet on same-sex unions as the issue is being decided by lawmakers, on Friday hit out at the Catholic Church after a top bishop pushed for a secret parliamentary vote on amendments to a sex-civil union bill.
Head of the Italian bishops’ conference, Angelo Bagnasco, had urged lawmakers in the upper house to allow secret voting to ensure they really followed their consciences, according to Italian media reports.
Renzi told the influential Church to stop meddling in parliamentary affairs.
‘Parliament decides whether or not to allow secret votes… not the head of the bishops’ conference,’ Renzi was quoted as saying during an interview with RAI state radio.
‘What is there to fear from two people who love each other? Why not give these rights to two people who love each other? The majority of the country is clearly in favor of it,’ he said.
The bill is currently before the Italian Senate which is due to begin voting on it Tuesday.
If the Senate approves the bill, it will go to the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, for final approval.
Italy is the only major Western country that does not recognize same-sex civil unions or marriage.

We all know the real reason the Bishop wants a secret ballot, it's so the religious bigots in the government can caste their vote without fear of reprisal from voters who want Italy to move in a more progressive manner.
Even the Pope knows he's losing this battle, that's why he's reaching out to those backward nations that still cling to their patriarchal, heteronormative bigotry... wonder how long it will take for him to make a show of unity with Islamic Sharia nations and embraces ISIS leaders as brothers?