BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian President Traian Basescu enacted new into law the country’s new civil code Friday which provides strong, new protections for marriage. The Alliance Defense Fund together with ADF-allied attorney Peter Costea of the Alliance for Romania’s Families provided legal counsel to several prominent Romanian parliamentarians who eventually introduced and ensured the passage of the key articles on marriage and family.
"Marriage is not just any two people in a committed relationship. There’s more to a marriage than that. These valuable new protections were passed with that in mind, and we were pleased to offer our legal counsel to that end," said ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska, based in Europe. "We especially appreciate the work done by our allies working hard on the ground in Romania on behalf of the Romanian people, who want marriage protected."
"At this time in history, we should be strengthening marriage, not tearing it down," said Costea, who headed efforts in Romania. "Government officials take notice when the people make their will known. That’s what happened in Romania."
Kiska added that Americans told by same-sex "marriage" advocates that the rest of the world considers the U.S. out of step when it comes to affirming marriage as the union of one man and one woman need only point to examples like Romania to demonstrate that such an assumption is false: "Romania is one country where American judicial activists will find no support," he said.
The new Romanian civil code will take effect on January 1, 2010, and includes the following pivotal articles:
- Article 258(4) states that "spouses" means "man and woman" throughout the civil code.
- Article 259(1) defines marriage as the freely consented-to union between a man and a woman.
- Article 271 states that a man and a woman have the right to marry for the purpose of forming a family.
- Article 277(1-3) state Romania will not recognize "marriages" between persons of the same sex and will not recognize same-sex "marriages" or so-called "civil unions" contracted abroad by Romanian citizens or foreign citizens.
On Dec. 9-11, both chambers of Romania’s Parliament will hold a joint three-day pro-family conference with the theme, "The Family in Crisis." The Alliance for Romania’s Families has been invited to participate and hopes to make suggestions for workshops.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.www.adfmedia.org www.domawatch.org