Same-sex marriage became legal in 2005. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has called it one of his greatest achievements. But a raft of other laws affecting families have not kept up gay marriage – include domestic violence legislation.

The inadequacy of the law came to light this week after a man killed his ex-husband in the town of Adra, in the southern region of Andalucia. The former husband was stabbed to death and the killer then took his own life.

In an interview with the Spanish news service EFE, the President of the Almería Provincial Court, Benito Galvez, said if the perpetrator had survived he could be charged with murder, but an addition charge of domestic violence could not be brought.

Galvez said that the domestic violence law, written before same-sex marriage became legal, identifies a victim as only being female. It could only be called a gay domestic violence incident if it had happened between two lesbians, he said.

In the case of the murder-suicide, Adra officials said they intend to regard it as domestic violence and will hold a vigil for the victim.

Judge Glavez said the law needs to be reviewed.

A 2008 study by the New York Anti-Violence Project found that domestic abuse in the LGBT community is “pervasive” and rates are similar to those among opposite-sex couples.

The service began with a message from Pope Benedict XVI, who urged Spanish Catholics to keep their families strong.

“Dear families, do not let love, openness to life and the incomparable links that join your homes weaken,” the pope said in a message read out in Madrid. “The pope is by your side,” the pontiff added.

The archbishop of Madrid, Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, added: “the future of humanity depends on the family, the Christian family.”

Spain’s Socialist government has angered the church by legalizing gay marriage, making it easy for people to divorce and instituting a public school course in which children learn about homosexuality and same-sex marriages.

The Interior Ministry said it had no figure on attendance at Sunday’s Mass in Colon Plaza. In chilly, overcast weather, the crowd filled the square and spilled out into streets running off it.

Maria Rosa de la Cierva, leader of a church association representing Catholics in Madrid province, predicted before the Mass began that up to a million people would attend.

The Mass was concelebrated by Rouco Varela along with five other archbishops, 22 bishops and more than 300 priests.

A similar Mass and rally were held at this time last year in the same square, and organizers put attendance then at well over a million.

Portions of the new biography, The Queen Up Close, by Spanish journalist Pilar Urbano, appeared in the daily newspaper El Pais.

In her first comments on the subject, the queen said that she is opposed to Spain’s gay marriage law, suggesting that Parliament should have opted for civil unions.

“If those people want to live together, dress up like bride and groom and marry, they could have a right to do so, or not, depending on the law of their country, but they should not call this matrimony, because it isn’t,” she is quoted as telling Urbano. “There are many possible names: social contract, social union.”

The same-sex marriage law was enacted in 2005. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has called it one of his greatest achievements. But the law has drawn the ire of the Roman Catholic Church.

Nevertheless, recent polls show same-sex marriage has broad acceptance in Spain. A survey by Instituto Opina showed that nearly 75 percent of those questioned said they are fine with the law and it should not be repealed.  Only 18 percent favor abolishing the law.

In the book Queen Sofia also questioned gay pride parades.

“I can understand, expect and respect that there are people with other sexual orientations. But should they feel proud of that? Should they climb on top of cars and hold parades?” she asked. “If everyone who wasn’t gay rallied through the streets, traffic would come to a standstill.”

Her remarks drew a swift rebuke from LGBT rights groups.

The State Federation of Lesbians, Gays and Transsexuals called for the queen to retract the statements.

“It is unprecedented that the palace, which usually never comments on social issues, now has to vent about one group of citizens who have been discriminated against in the past,” FELGTB president Antonio Poveda said in a statement.

“Many mothers of gays and lesbians are going to ask why the queen understands that the prince would marry a divorced woman, but she can’t understand why other mothers wouldn’t want that same happiness of marriage for their children,” said Poveda, referring to Prince Felipe, who married divorcee Letizia Ortiz in 2004 with the crown’s blessing.

El Pais published the excerpts from the book in advance of its release to coincide with the Queen’s 70th birthday which falls on Nov. 2. The book’s publisher said the quotes were accurate and that the book was reviewed by the palace before publication.