Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke, I present a petition to keep the traditional definition of marriage as that being between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. The petitioners maintain that marriage is an institution which pre-exists the state because it is based on a profound human need for having children and continuing the family from generation to generation and because marriage is a unique social institution that provides a supportive relationship between a woman and a man who together create the most successful environment for the rearing of children. The petitioners also maintain that marriage is an institution so basic to the human condition and common good that its nature is beyond that of the civil law to change.
In the House of Commons on November 4th, 2003. See this statement in context.