Vatican calls Irish equal marriage vote a ‘defeat for humanity’
By Will Stroude
A Vatican Cardinal has hit out at Ireland’s equal marriage vote, calling the result of last week’s referendum a “defeat for humanity”.
The cardinal’s comments come after Ireland made history by becoming the world’s first country to vote in favour of equal marriage in a nation-wide referendum, leading to an outpouring of celebration over the weekend.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said he was “deeply saddened” by the result, which saw 62.1% of voters say ‘Yes’ to equal marriage in the traditionally Catholic nation.
“I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity,” he told ANSA. “The family remains at the centre and we have to do everything to defend it and promote it.”
“Hitting it would be like taking the foundations away from the building of the future”.
While Pope Francis has not responded publicly to events in Ireland, as effective second-in-command in the Catholic heirarchy, Mr Parolin’s comments mark the Church’s most critical assessment of the referendum result so far.
Some have credited Pope Francis for taking a less hostile stance towards the issue of homosexuality. In 2013 he told reporters: “If someone is gay and is looking for the Lord, who am I to judge him?” and earlier this year held a private audience with a trans man.
However, the Pope remains ideologically opposed to same-sex marriage, and only in January was quoted as saying: “The family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage”.
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