Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) will today appeal to the High Court as it seeks exemption from equality laws which require it to allow homosexuals to use its adoption services.

Catholic Care is the only one of the UK’s 11 Catholic adoption agencies to continue its fight against the Sexual Orientation Regulations 2007.

In June last year it had its appeal rejected by the Charity Tribunal.

The charity has received backing from the Bishops of Hallam, Leeds & Middlesbrough, who wrote a joint letter to be read at Sunday masses in their dioceses last weekend.

They said: “Our position is that it is in the interests of children to continue our work. We are not judging other agencies that accept same sex couples for adoption, but feel strongly that we should not be forced to do so, nor is there a necessity for this to happen.

“We believe that this is a legally justifiable position to take and that it is a reasonable response to a legitimate end.”

They added: “If Catholic Care is forced to close its adoption service it is children who will lose an effective and well respected resource in the Yorkshire region.”