Contact: Don Feder, 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com

PARIS, Jan. 15, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- World Congress of Families hailed Sunday's march for traditional, natural marriage in Paris.  WCF Managing Director Larry Jacobs commented: "Hundreds of thousands marched in Paris yesterday, in bitterly cold temperatures, to oppose plans by Socialist President Francois Hollande to force a bill legalizing so-called same-sex marriage through the parliament. Yesterday's march, supported by the French Catholic hierarchy, was an impassioned outpouring in defense of marriage, children, and the natural family.  It demonstrates, once again, that the push for 'same-sex marriage' is driven by elites and rejected by the overwhelming majority of families worldwide."

Commenting on the success of the march, Daniel Liechti, Vice President of the National Council of French Evangelicals, observed, "The French are tolerant, but they are deeply attached to the family and the defense of children."  Justice Minister Christiane Taubira ominously described the move by the Hollande government as "civilization changing."

Coinciding with the Paris march, across the Channel, more than 1,000 Catholic priests and prelates signed a letter warning that the legalization of "same-sex marriage" in the United Kingdom could lead to renewed persecution of Catholics, which might include those faithful to the Church's teaching losing their jobs.

World Congress of Families and its 37 Partners have been in the forefront of worldwide efforts to protect natural marriage. In 2008, WCF circulated an international leadership petition in support of a successful effort to amend the Romanian civil code to limit marriage to one man and one woman.

In 2010, the Congress rallied international opposition to the legalization of same-sex unions in Mexico City. WCF Partner Red Familia (the Family Network) spearheaded opposition in Mexico.

In August 2012, more than 120 pro-life and pro-family leaders from 11 countries signed a World Congress of Families petition protesting participation by the U.S. ambassador in Prague in the annual "gay pride" parade. Such events are usually a stalking horse for "same-sex marriage."

Last May, Christian Concern (a WCF Partner) held a London colloquium entitled "One Man, One Woman -- Making The Case for Marriage."  Due to political pressure and Prime Minister David Cameron's support for "same-sex marriage," organizers were forced to relocate the conference twice from two different private and government venues. Also, Christian Concern was part of a coalition that delivered to 10 Downing Street over half-a-million signatures on a petition to keep marriage between a man and a woman.

In September, WCF Partners Australian Family Association, Endeavour Forum and Dads4Kids helped to defeat "same-sex marriage" in votes in both houses of the Australian Federal Parliament. Marriage will be among the topics discussed at World Congress of Families VII in Sydney, May 15-18, 2013.

And in the United States, WCF Partner the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and Brian Brown have been involved in most of the referenda amending state constitutions to protect natural marriage.

Jacobs concluded: "We congratulate the organizers of the Paris march and declare our solidarity with efforts to defend natural marriage in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and wherever such efforts are underway.  Just as the campaign to undermine marriage, increasingly led by the Obama administration, is international in scope, the defense of natural marriage must stretch across national boundaries to embrace families everywhere."

Join us for World Congress of Families VIII: "Happy Families, Healthy Economy: A New Vision for National Prosperity and Social Progress:" which will bring together thousands of global leaders, scholars and activists in Sydney, Australia, May 15-18, 2013 to encourage and defend the natural family.  To register for WCF VII, click here or visit, www.worldcongress.com.au

Click here: www.worldcongress.org  for more information on World Congress of Families. To schedule an interview with Larry Jacobs, contact Don Feder at 508-405-1337 or dfeder@rcn.com.

The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society (www.profam.org) is located in Rockford, Illinois and is an independent, non-profit research and education center that provides sound scholarship and effective strategies to affirm and defend the natural family, thus renewing a stable and free society.  The Howard Center is the publisher of the journal, "The Family In America" and is also the organizer of the World Congress of Families (WCF) project which is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and inter-faith people of goodwill from more than 80 countries that seek to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society (as found in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).  The WCF was founded in 1997 by Dr. Allan Carlson, President of The Howard Center.  To date, there have been five World Congresses of Families -- Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004), Warsaw, Poland (2007) and Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2009).  World Congress of Families VI was held in Madrid, Spain in May 25-27, 2012.  World Congress of Families VII  will be held in Sydney, Australia, May 15-18, 2013, www.wcfsyndney2013.org.au.