[Mrs. Don-o]

As Tyler Lopez said here (LINK), in the article I referred to here (#25), "The pope's statement could easily be interpreted to mean the extension of legal rights to a caregiver living with a terminally ill loved one. Some civil unions also allow widows who wish to form a new partnership [under Civil Union] to keep Social Security survivor's benefits."

In other words, one reason might be for the sake of civil justice regarding shared financial assets: insurance, pensions, property, benefits and the like. Some non-married adults sharing life, assets and domicile may never had a relationship that was sexual in nature (e.g. the caregiver with the terminally ill loved one). Likwise, some may have become a "couple" years before, based on a prohibited sexual relationship, but the relationship has long since ceased being based on sexual activity because they are old or ailing, and remain together for mutual support.

Thus the idea that Civil Union = sodomites, and nobody else, may not always be the case, according to the above author. And in these cases, the point of the legislation would be to allow a more just settlement of property and benefit claims for people who share a significant union of lives and assets.

[ebb tide]

"The pope's statement could easily be interpreted to mean the extension of legal rights to a caregiver living with a terminally ill loved one."

It is absolutely pathetic when one is expected to have to interpret his own pope.

How do you feel about legalized polygamy? That would fall under the same umbrella of "survivors' benefits", wouldn't it?