CHURCH LEAFLETING:THE CATHOLIC hierarchy has been challenged to explain why anti-Lisbon leaflets claiming that EU protocols will not protect against abortion, euthanasia and embryo research were allowed to go on display inside two Catholic churches in the diocese of Cloyne.
The call came from Cork East Labour TD Seán Sherlock who said he did not think it was right that leaflets from the Fatima Rosary Group advocating a No vote on the treaty should have been allowed inside two churches in Mallow at weekend Masses.
Mr Sherlock said he believed the leaflets, which were left on tables near fonts at the back of both the Church of the Resurrection and St Anne’s in Mallow, contravened people’s right to go to Mass “without being bombarded with messages from either side of the debate”. “That leaflets are being distributed with religious symbols and iconography on their artwork, but with a clear political messages inside, is a clear abuse of the openness and accessibility of churches,” said Mr Sherlock.
The leaflet claims the Lisbon Treaty will end Ireland’s status as an independent state, take away the Irish people’s right to make their own laws, make the EU constitution superior to the Irish Constitution and reduce Ireland to a provincial state within the EU federation.
The leaflet also warns that Ireland's neutrality will be under threat and quotes French paper Le Tribuneas saying that France is "ready to exchange the European Parliament in Strasbourg for an as yet unfinalised EU military complex/ headquarters".
It adds: “Should we vote for Lisbon II, we will become party to an army led by the former colonial powers. For centuries, Irish blood was shed on foreign fields, let’s pray that our grandchildren will not have to do so in the furtherance of a policy of economic domination.”
Mr Sherlock said the leaflet also refers readers to the Cóir website for further information. If the hierarchy had decided that political leaflets were allowed inside churches, then they must ensure that the message was balanced on both sides of the debate.
However, diocese of Cloyne press officer Fr Jim Killeen said that no permission had been given to any group to put political leaflets into churches and the vast majority of people campaigning on political issues had always respected this.
Given that churches were open to the public, Fr Killeen said it was impossible to monitor 24 hours a day what was left in churches but it was his understanding that once the priests involved became aware of the leaflets in question, they were removed.
“I can say with certainty that no priest would have given permission for such leaflets to be placed in the churches in question – no political grouping should be leaving political leaflets on any kind in churches and our priests are well aware of that,” he said.
