Still Running Off at the Keyboard

Rome- A top Italian cardinal said Monday that common-law status might be applied to offer some legal protection to unmarried heterosexual couples - offering a rare exception to the Catholic Church's condemnation of de facto unions.

Cardinal Camillo Ruini gave no indication the recognition would be extended to same-sex couples and said any protection should stop short of envisioning "something similar to a marriage."

The comments by Ruini, presi dent of the Italian Bishops' Conference and the pope's vicar for Rome, came amid a renewed debate over whether Italy should grant unmarried couples some form of legal recognition.

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