The Catholic Church has spoken out against Scottish plans to allow lesbian and gay couples to adopt children.
The Archbishop of Edinburgh and leader of Scotland's Catholics, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, said the plans, introduced by the government late last week, were "gravely immoral."
The proposals would update laws north of the border to the same level as across England and Wales, and would bring adoption policies in line with the forthcoming Civil Partnership Act (CPA).
Previously, a lesbian or gay man in Scotland could adopt a child, but not as part of a couple.
Adoption agencies say the update will help ease the current backlog of children needing homes.
Scotland's deputy Education Minister Euan Robson, said the proposals would address the "confusing legal position." He said the changes would be made in the best interests of the child, something disputed by Cardinal O'Brien, who accused lesbian and gay people of having "fragile" relationships.
"Such a measure would distort the understanding of the family, cause harm to children and promote the status of homosexual relationships," he told The Scotsman newspaper.
"Homosexual unions are notoriously fragile and unstable," he added.
He also claimed the changes were an "open contradiction" to the U.N. Convention on the rights of the child, comments the Scottish Executive is set to reject.
The proposals come after a consultation period and the recommendations of a panel set up to debate the existing situation.
The number of children adopted across the U.K. continues to fall, with many agencies blaming the bureaucracy of the process as a primary reason why many potential parents are deterred.