Catholic bishop of Hong Kong hits out at gay marriage and tells flock to consider the issue before voting

The Catholic bishop of Hong Kong has urged his flock to consider candidates' views on gay rights when voting in the district council elections, as certain social movements "are challenging and twisting" the city's core values on marriage and family

Cardinal John Tong Hon, leader of the city's 379,000 Catholics, made the appeal in a pastoral letter on Thursday, two days before this afternoon's Pride Parade by gay rights groups, and two weeks before the November 22 district council polls.

It is the second time in two months Tong has used one of his occasional pastoral letters to criticise same-sex marriage.

In his latest letter, Tong wrote: "In recent years, extreme liberalism, individualism, sexual liberation and gay rights movement [activists] … advocated that Hong Kong should introduce a sexual orientation discrimination ordinance and recognise same-sex marriage. This has shaken our society to its core."

Referring to media reports that a student organisation had run what it called a "sex workshop" recently, Tong warned that "twisted trends are no longer spreading in an obscure manner, but they have publicly and openly intruded into our daily lives and directly impacted our next generation".

"In the upcoming district council election and future polls, I urge all believers … to consider candidates' and their parties' stance on family and marriage issues, as well as their position on" a law to ban discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, Tong said.