According to the ABC's Lateline newsite, Catholic bishops in Victoria will write to over 80,000 parishioners, urging them to make submissions to the Senate inquiry into proposed amendments to the Marriage Act opposing any move to legalize same-sex marriage.

The site quotes the Bishop of Sale, the Most Reverend Christopher Prowse stating that any legalization of same-sex marriage will mean "a fragile institution like marriage and family will become more fragile".

The move, however, has been criticized by others.  Former NSW Premier and Catholic, Kristina Keneally, is quoted as saying that same-sex marriage should be allowed because it honours  "self-sacrificing love that people have for one another by giving them and recognising their right to celebrate that in marriage".

The full story and video can be found here.
 
According to a media release issued by conservative pressure group, the Australian Christian Lobby, the sweeping victory by the Liberal National Party (LNP) in the recent Queensland State Election was due to "disregard" of Queensland's "Christian constituency"

The release cites ACL's Qld Director Wendy Francis stating that the decision by LNP Leader Campbell Newman to participate in an ACL-sponsored webcast, and a corresponding decision by Labor to not have a representative participate, demonstrates that Labour disrespected the Christian constituency and thus compounded the anti-Labour mood of the electorate.

"It was well known in the Christian constituency that most Labor MPs had voted to deny children the chance to at least begin life with a mother and father through controversial surrogacy laws allowing singles, two men or two women to acquire babies. It was also obvious that Labor’s high-profile championing of marriage-mimicking civil unions did not win it any votes, particularly as it was clearly rushed through as a political stunt to support gay activists campaigning at the ALP National Conference in December last.” Ms Francis is quoted as claiming.

The full release can be viewed here.

 
Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the worldwide Anglican Communion, has announced he will be stepping down from the position in December this year.

According to the BBC news site, Dr Williams posted a statement on his webpage stating that serving as Archbishop of Canterbury had been an "immense privilege", and that the decision to retire was a difficult one because there was still "much to do".

Appointed the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002, Dr Williams has confronted growing tensions within the Anglican Communion over the ordination of women and openly gay clergy.  He also generated controversy in 2008 by suggesting that adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK was an inevitability.

Queen Elizabeth II, as head of the Church of England, has been advised of Dr Williams' decision; a statement released by the Crown Appointments Commission said that consideration of Dr Williams' successor would occur "in due course".

The full BBC article can be found here.