ROME -- Tens of thousands of people plan to rally today to protest a bill that would give legal rights to unmarried couples, including gays and lesbians, fueling a debate that has split Italy amid calls by Pope Benedict XVI to defend the traditional family.
The legislation, which awaits parliamentary approval, has underscored long standing tensions in this largely Roman Catholic country between a desire to hold on to church-sanctioned traditions and a push toward greater secularization.
Organizers of today's "Family Day" include lay Catholic groups and family associations. While the demonstration has been endorsed by Italian bishops, neither the Vatican nor the Italian bishops' conference is formally behind it.
