THE CATHOLIC League and Priests For Life Ireland groups have launched a petition opposing the Civil Partnership Bill.
Launched in the last issue of the Catholic Voicenewspaper (www.catholicvoice.ie) it already has more than 2,000 signatures. The group said it would present them to Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern.
The Catholic League has already sent a letter to every TD and Senator expressing reservations about the Bill.
Anthony Murphy, founder of the Catholic League and publisher of the Catholic Voice, said in a statement: "It is clear that many people are puzzled and upset at the proposed legislation which can only undermine the institution of marriage by creating a kind of pseudo-marriage for same sex couples. This is deeply immoral and a crime against the natural law. It is the duty of every Catholic to oppose it".
In its recent issue the Catholic Voicequoted "a senior Italian cardinal" as saying "Catholic politicians who support gay marriage are not Catholic. It's impossible for the Catholic faith, and support for putting homosexual unions on equal footing with marriage, to coexist in one's conscience – the two contradict each other."
Fr Sylvester Mann, founder of Priests for Life Ireland, is writing to every Catholic priest in Ireland asking for their support in opposing the Bill. His letter will also contain a copy of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s document concerning legal recognition of same-sex unions.
Fr Sylvester said: “The concluding words of the Code of Canon Law remind us that the ‘care of souls is the supreme law of the Church’. To that end priests must preach the Gospel without compromise and lead others, including politicians, to live in the holiness of the Truth and to promote a Culture of Life. We must not be afraid to STOP (his emphasis) an immoral Bill from being bullied into law!”
