There are few countries in which the Catholic Church is in a bigger free fall in terms of popular support than Ireland thanks to government commissions that have disclosed rampant sex abuse of children and minors along with a concerted effort by the Church hierarchy to cover up the disgusting abuse and even protect the predators among the clergy. Yet the nasty old men in dresses at the bishoprics still do not get the message that few in Ireland any longer give a rat's ass about what the Church's position is on almost anything. The percentage of nominal Catholics who still attend mass is down in the single digits and the government may soon enact full blown gay marriage. So what are the Irish bishops doing? Threatening to cease performing their civil law role in performing marriages. Ultimately, it might be a good thing and result in the Church being removed from the civil marriage process altogether. The Irish Independent looks at the unfolding saga. Here are excerpts:
IRELAND's Catholic prelates are leading the charge against gay marriage, warning that they will not perform the civil aspects of weddings if marriage is extended to gay couples.
The Irish Bishops Conference (IBC) has asked to make oral submissions to oppose any provisions for same-sex marriage to the Constitutional Convention.
The Constitutional Convention received more than 1,000 submissions on the deeply controversial issue and will finalise, next week, what interest groups and individuals will be invited to make oral submissions.
The stage has been set for an intense debate ahead of the possibility of a referendum on same-sex marriage.
In a detailed submission, Ireland's Catholic bishops have warned that the church "could no longer carry out the civil element" of marriage if there was any change to the legal definition of marriage.
Amnesty International, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Equality Authority and Irish Congress of Trade Unions are among nine key groups who will press for full marital rights to be extended to same-sex couples.
Given the crimes committed by the Church, one can only hope that the Church's demand to submit comments is denied. It speaks volumes about the moral bankruptcy of the Church leadership that the widespread rape and abuse of children and minors was fine, but a loving, committed same sex couple receiving CIVIL law rights is the proverbial end of the world. It makes me proud to no longer be a Catholic when I see how foul the institutional Church continues to be.
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