The EU is not to blame this time

This morning Tony Blair said that Catholic adoption agencies would not be given an exemption from gay rights laws, meaning that they will have to close because they cannot in all good conscience place children with homosexual couples.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor said he was disappointed, but said he hoped there might still be some way the agencies could "continue their work".

He added: "It does seem to me we are having a new norm for what marriage is, because I think normally children should be brought up by a father and a mother and I think that we hold that that is extremely important. The government has a right to legislate and homosexual couples are also able to adopt in other agencies but we want to hold onto this principle."

There is more to this story than a mere battle of "equality". The ruling is part of the Equality Act 2006, inspired by EU directive 2000/78 - "a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation'' . That directive bans any form of "discrimination based on religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation''.

Tony Blair's government chose to extend the meaning of "employment and occupation'' to adoption. The directive also has a clause which says that the EU "respects and does not prejudice the status under national law of churches and religious associations''; and that "Member States may maintain or lay down specific provisions on genuine, legitimate and justified occupational requirements which might be required for carrying out an occupational activity''.

In other words, the government did not need to force the Catholic Church to close its adoption agencies but did so in the name of the great god diversity.

Can you imagine other countries like Italy and Poland copying Blair's lead? Once again, Blair is on his own. Devout Catholic Cherie must be so pleased.