Last March following their spring meeting the Catholic Bishops issued a statement and published a leaflet on marriage and the family. Yesterday they met for the summer meeting and made another statement on the Civil Partnership Bill.
* Protection and support for marriage and family
Bishops discussed the statement Why Marriage Matters which was published by the Bishops’ Conference in March in the context of the Civil Partnership Bill which has just completed its Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann. Why Marriage Matters is available in print format and has been distributed in parishes. It is also available to download from the Bishops’ website www.catholicbishops.ie.
Bishops appealed to Oireachtas members to consider Why Marriage Matters as they discuss this Bill and in particular to consider in conscience the following excerpt from it before voting on the Bill:
“Oireachtas Eireann is about to pass legislation that seeks to give same-sex relationships a standing which will be as similar as possible to marriage. The Civil Partnership Bill will not permit adoption by same-sex couples. In most other respects, including tax and social welfare purposes, same-sex civil partnerships will be regarded as being equal to marriage.
“This is not compatible with seeing the family based on marriage as the necessary basis of the social order and as indispensable to the welfare of the Nation and State. Nor does it ‘guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded.’? (Art. 41.3.1, Bunreacht na hÉireann)
Bishops called on Oireachtas members to allow for greater recognition of the proper autonomy of Churches and the right to social and civil freedom in religious matters. This includes the right of individuals to the free exercise of conscience in accordance with the objective moral order and the teaching of the Gospel. The current Bill, by exposing Civil Registrars to a fine and/or imprisonment should they act in accordance with their conscience on the matter of same-sex unions, undermines this cherished principle of a free and diverse society and imposes unjust limits on the ‘freedom of conscience and free expression and practice of religion’ guaranteed to every citizen in Article 44.2.1 of Bunreacht Na hÉireann. Bishops therefore appeal to Government to introduce amendments to the Bill to accommodate freedom of religious conscience on this vital matter. Bishops also ask Government to support a free vote for all members of Dáil Éireann and the Seanad on this Bill as it passes through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
So in brief they want Oireachtas members to have a free vote and for the Church to be allowed freedom of conscience and it and it’s members freedom to interfere/refuse to participate in duties required of them by the law in their job descriptions. Not withstanding the fact that Civil Partnership is all about Civil and nothing to do with religious organisations they are looking for it to be made into a religious issue.
Trying not to get disheartened by the bishops again. it amazes me that they are still listened to by so many in Ireland and elsewhere. However, be that as it may and recognising that Civil Partnerhsip and indeed Marriage are not for everyone, I think anyone concerned with equality needs to make some statements here against the rhetoric of the bishops. Myself and my partner who do not wish to be married but do want legal recognition for a variety of reasons are supporting the Marriage Equality campaign to meet with TD’s and persuade (!) them to look again at Civil Partnership legislation. It is intersting though how different stories/narratives have emerged in the pursuit of partnership legal recognition and which might be worth teasing out at some stage to examine activism around gay issues.
There’s just something about their saying about the bill:
“undermines this cherished principle of a free and diverse society and imposes unjust limits on the ‘freedom of conscience and free expression”
that sticks in my craw.
Free and diverse only if you are hetero and Catholic.
Let the crozier thumping swine piss off into the wilderness. I have zero tolerance for Gormless but as he rightly pointed out today Catholic lay people have NO say in who becomes a bloody Bishop etc etc, so why should they row in on CIVIL matters – nobody I know is looking to have their same sex relationship/marriage blessed by those child-raping, woman fearing/hating wasters. They ran all the institutions where me and my ilk (I’ve had a child outside marriage – shock/horror) would still be hidden away and used and abused if most of them had their way. Am in a foul f**king mood, so please forgive the rant and the language.
I believe that it is simple… if a man or woman does not believe that civil partnerships are right because they believe its not according to God’s order,
or because their own deep genuine inherent sense of what is right or wrong,then
Why threaten them with jail just because they don’t want to perform a ceremony…especially when the two wanting the ceremony could go to someone who would be happy to perform the ceremony. Facism! No accommodation. And the so called gay community say they want justice, could they say ‘justice for all’? There is a large christian community in Ireland of varying degree of belief. Surely they wouldn’t mind the bishops doing their job and speaking out. Or should they be silenced to? Read the first book of Corinthians chapter 6 verses 9 to 11. Note those who are described ‘but that is what some of you WERE’. They all turned and became something else. Gospel of John chapter 1, verse 12. ‘…the right to BECOME children of God’. For everyone bad dooers, good dooers, the way is the same, turn from what is wrong, Receive and believe in Jesus as Savour and Lord and He will grant that you become a child of God, spiritually. And it will be said of you also ‘that is what you were’, but now they have become a child of God simply by believing and following. His love draws us on to His pathway. (heaven is real…make every effort to go there!)
But in society, a person should have the right to say ” well on grounds of conscience i prefare to not carry out this ceremony”, but there is another office up the road who will do it. Thank you. It’s simple and only fair.
Thank you.
On grounds of conscience I prefer to drive on the right. I’m not allowed though.