Irish Prime Minister Endorses Same Sex Marriage

Irish Prime Minister, Enda Kenny

Ireland was once a bastion of Catholicism.  But then came the sex abuse scandal and the subsequent exposure of a Church that cared nothing about children and engaged in deception, lies and cover ups to protect predator priests and the Church hierarchy who protected them.  The result?  The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has been in a free fall and deference to the Church is at record low levels.  Now, in May, 2015, Ireland will hold a referendum on legalizing same sex marriage and the Church finds itself opposed by leading Irish politicians who rightly see civil law marriage as separate and distinct from religion and the Church.  As The Guardian reports, Ireland's Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, is urging voters to get out and vote for gay marriage.  Here are article excepts:

Ireland’s prime minister, Enda Kenny, has called on the country to vote yes in the forthcoming gay marriage equality referendum.


Speaking live on Saturday night on RTE television during his annual party congress, the taoiseach said a yes vote would send out a powerful signal that Ireland had evolved into a “fair, compassionate and tolerant nation”.

Kenny told his Fine Gael party – the dominant force in the ruling coalition in Dublin – that a national endorsement of gay marriage would also send a positive message to the gay community in the Republic.

“I believe that this is the right thing to do,” he said. “I and the Fine Gael party strongly support a yes vote.

“And therefore I say to all same-sex couples in our country: this is about you, it’s about your right to say two small words, made up of three simple letters – I do.

Successive opinion polls have found strong support for gay marriage equality in a state that was once dominated by the Roman Catholic church and was synonymous with conservative religious values.

So far the Catholic hierarchy has stayed out of the gay marriage battle, leaving the campaigning for a no vote in the hands of lay conservative Catholics including writers and historians. They have concentrated their opposition to gay marriage on concerns over LGBT people adopting children.

Once upon a time, no Irish Prime Minister would have dared to so boldly challenge the Church.  Thankfully, the vast majority of Irish Catholics view the Church hierarchy as morally bankrupt and mass attendance has plummeted.  I truly hope voters will go tho the polls, approve gay marriage, and send a message to the Catholic Church that its days of control and influence are over once and for all.