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Tánaiste says referendum is about civil marriage as Labour launches Yes vote campaign

Updated / Tuesday, 5 May 2015 07:22
Archbishop Martin said he thinks the Constitution already respects the equality of people
Archbishop Martin said he thinks the Constitution already respects the equality of people

Tánaiste Joan Burton has said whatever the Catholic Church wishes to do in relation to marriage ceremonies, is a matter for the Church.

Ms Burton was commenting after the Catholic Primate and Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said the Church would have to consider whether or not it would continue to perform the civil part of wedding ceremonies in the event of a change following the upcoming marriage referendum on 22 May.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme Archbishop Martin said it was clearly an issue. 

He said: "We would have to look at legislation to see is it possible for us to continue to stand over our ministers being involved in civil ceremonies."

The Archbishop said the referendum should not be a Church versus State battle.

Ms Burton speaking at the launch of the Labour party's Make it Happen campaign said the referendum was about civil marriage.

The campaign aims to encourage voters to take an active approach in promoting a Yes vote, including talking to older people to persuade them of the argument for a Yes vote.

Meanwhile, Minister for Communications Alex White said he believes there is a danger that children's rights are being drawn into the marriage referendum in a misleading way.

He said that it is not helpful to the debate about the issue itself.

Mr White said the referendum was clearly about a net question, not to redefine marriage, but to extend marriage to people who currently can not avail of that institution.

Elsewhere, the Green party also launched a Yes vote campaign today with party leader Eamon Ryan saying as a proud Catholic, he will be voting yes based on his informed conscience.

At a news conference in Dublin, the Green party leader said he thought by-and-large the Catholic Church would end up voting Yes, and that the Church would evolve.

Changing the definition of marriage will have major implications for society - Archbishop 

Archbishop Eamon Martin called on everyone in society to vote in the upcoming same-sex marriage referendum as it is "such an important matter." 

He said the Church asks people to reflect carefully, to pray and to vote. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland Archbishop Martin said the Church has an "important voice", which it will exercise primarily to its own people.

In a statement on Saturday the Archbishop said changing the definition of marriage would not be a "trivial" act.

He said if the same-sex marriage referendum is passed it may have major implications for society, adding "it will become increasingly difficult to speak or teach in public about marriage as being between a man and a woman.”

He said it will raise questions regarding the expectation of schools to teach children on issues such as marriage or "homosexual acts."

Speaking on Morning Ireland today, the Archbishop said he thinks the Constitution already respects the equality of people. 

He said in the debate on same-sex marriage there is a "suggestion that we will be somehow intolerant if we don’t continue to retain the importance of marriage as it is understood ... it is important though that we hold up something as special and unique ... and worth protecting" he said. 

The Archbishop said much of the dialogue surrounding the referendum so far has been a debate of emotion. 

"I would like to see more exploration of the implication of a change of our Constitution" he said.

He said in Catholic schools relationships and sexuality education is based on a firm framework of the Catholic churches teaching.

Archbishop Martin said: "We would have to look at legislation to see is it possible for us to continue to stand over our ministers being involved in civil ceremonies" he added.

Yes vote campaign group call on Archbishop to engage with them in debate

A campaign group called Yes Equality today accused Archbishop Martin of confusing issues in particular "the distinction between church or religious marriage and civil marriage."

"This referendum is solely concerned with civil marriage and its constitutional status" a spokesperson for the campaign group said in a statement. 

The group invited the archbishop to engage with them in discussion on the referendum, saying "real understanding about the issues involved in this referendum is best achieved by meaningful dialogue."

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