SWITZERLAND
swissinfo
AUG 10, 2015
Pink Cross, the umbrella association for Swiss gay groups, is filing a criminal complaint against Vitus Huonder, the Catholic bishop of Chur, for “homophobic comments” made in a recent speech in which he quoted bible verses calling for gays to be put to death.
The lawsuit was set to be handed in to the public prosecutor of canton Graubünden in eastern Switzerland on Monday.
Pink Cross, backed by the Swiss Lesbian Organisation, accuses 73-year-old Huonder of “inciting people to crime or violence” with his remarks made at a religious forum in Germany on July 31.
If found guilty, Huonder faces up to three years in prison.
In his 50-minute address on marriage, the bishop quoted two verses from the book of Leviticus, including Leviticus 20:13: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
In response to applause, he continued: “Both of these passages alone suffice to clarify unambiguously the church’s position on homosexuality”.
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