| | | You are here: Home >> Press Section >> Bishops weigh up action on Civil Partnership Bill | | | | Bishops weigh up action on Civil Partnership Bill | | State has obligation to protect family life, conference told | | | | Reproduced from The Irish Times | 11th March 2010
Patsy McGarry
Religious Affairs Correspondent | | | Ireland’s Catholic bishops are “very concerned” about the Civil Partnership Bill and have discussed whether to take a Constitutional action should it become law, the Bishop of Elphin, Christopher Jones, told a press conference in Maynooth yesterday.
And in a statement, Why Marriage Matters, released by the bishops yesterday, they describe provisions in the Civil Partnership Bill as “an extraordinary and far reaching attack on freedom of conscience and the free practices of religion – which are guaranteed to every citizen under the Constitution”.
Bishops Jones, who is chairman of the Bishops’ Committee for Family and Children, said: “As you know, marriage and the family are enshrined in the Constitution, and the State has an obligation to protect and promote marriage and family life.”
He continued: “We are really very concerned that the Civil Partnership Bill is going to undermine marriage by conferring all the rights on same-sex unions as marriage, equating same-sex union to marriage itself.”
On the refusal by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to allow an opt-out clause for people who had conscience problems when it came to association or involvement with same-sex ceremonies, he said the bishops were “very worried about that. Very worried.”
They had expressed these concerns to the secretary general of the Department of Justice and his officials, he said.
In the Why Marriage Matters statement, the bishop said anyone “who conscientiously refuses to carry out such a (same-sex) ceremony will face a fine and up to six months in prison”.
They said that “Christians, Jews and Muslims or anyone else who refuses to make halls and other facilities available for a celebration or reception connected with a same-sex partnership will face prosecution and fines.”
Same-sex unions were “incapable of realizing the specific communion of persons that is marriage.” Marriage, they said, “means the union of a man and woman. A husband is a man who has a wife: a wife is a woman who has a husband.
“A same-sex couple cannot be husband and wife. A same-sex couple cannot procreate a child through the sexual act which expresses married love.
“Same-sex relationships, by their very nature, cannot be considered equal to marriage or almost equal to marriage.”
It was a “a grave injustice if the State ignores the unique and proper place of husbands and wives, the place of mothers and fathers, and especially the rights of children, who deserve from society a clear understanding of marriage as they grow to sexual maturity.”
The Civil Partnership Bill “represents a fundamental revolution in our understanding of marriage and the family and cannot go unchallenged”, they said.
Speaking at the same press conference, the Bishop of Dromore, John McAreavey, welcomed Tuesday’s vote on devolution by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Now that this had happened the bishops believed it was “vital that other outstanding areas of critical importance for Northern Ireland – particularly education issues – can and should be faced urgently in the interests of the common good.”
Bishop McAreavey referred to the “complete breakdown, stagnation, frustration”, in the education area. It was “creating a huge problem”.
The bishops also expressed concern for migrant workers who chose to remain in Ireland despite the recession. It was “essential, even in a time of decreased resources” that their rights were fully respected, they said.
Regarding the 2012 International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, they said “participation by anyone who shares our faith in Jesus” was welcome. It runs from June 10th to 17th and they thanked all who contributed to the €850,000 collected for the event. | | | | The review of adequacy of services for children with families, 2008 just published shows huge discrepancies between allocation of Social Workers in different areas. While Galway has a child population of 55,000, it has an approved Social Worker staff sealing of 29 compared to Sligo/Leitrim which has an approved staff sealing of 38 for a population of 22,000 children. Dublin North in contrast is approved for 36 Social Workers for a child population of over 55,000. In terms of child protection the Report says the number of confirmed cases of child abuse rose by 9.4% last year to 2,164. It also says more than 24,600 reports of child abuse, neglect and welfare issues were received by Social Work Departments last year, up from 23,200 Reports this year before. All Reports are screened by child care professional-social workers. In some local areas waiting lists of cases are maintained it adds. | | | | The Report also reveals that 22 unaccompanied minors went missing from HSE Care last year. Approximately 7% of unaccompanied minors dealt with by the HSE have gone missing since 2000. The numbers going missing have been steadily falling with much less than half the number going missing in 2008 (22) than in 2004 (66). Furthermore the Report says 234 children appear to be homeless last year. Aidan Waterstone, national specialist with the HSE Children and Family Services said the reason fewer children in care had an allocated Social Worker in 2008 could be to do with Social Workers going on maternity leave and not being replaced. He added the HSE was working to ensure greater regional equity of Social Workers. | | | | |  For further information, please contact Marion Campbell Solicitors by calling (01) 475 9345, or by filling out an on-line enquiry form. |
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