Rome,
21 May 2015
Ireland
will tomorrow become the first country to use a national referendum
to allow same-sex “marriage”, posing a probable threat to
religious freedom in the country if the electorate vote “Yes.”
Although
the government plans to protect the right of churches not to
celebrate same-sex “marriage”, this will appear only in
legislation and not in the Constitution.
This
leaves open the possibility of a same-sex couple taking the matter to
court and winning the case, as the Constitution will have no
protections for the Church if it refuses to officiate the ceremony.
In
addition to this, and the obvious threat to the traditional family a
“Yes” vote would present, European Dignity Watch has pointed out
that the debate leading up to tomorrow’s referendum has been
anything but fair.
All
of Ireland’s publicly-funded political parties have actively
campaigned for a “Yes” vote and used heavy handed tactics to
ensure their members tow the party line, threatening them with
expulsion if they don’t.
The
country’s media has been overwhelmingly in favor of the “Yes”
campaign, and ignored a Supreme Court ruling that both sides of the
debate be given equal coverage.
Large
multinationals employing many people in Ireland, such as Facebook and
eBay, have told their employees to vote “Yes” and campaign for
such a result on social media.
Wealthy
donors have helped fund the "Yes" campaign, including a
foreign billionaire - despite such funding being illegal under Irish
electoral law. The Irish government has so far not reacted to this
breach.
Ireland’s
police are also actively supporting the "Yes" campaign,
allowing police stations to be used for photo opportunities.
The
Dignitatis Humanae Institute is greatly concerned by the threat a
"Yes" vote presents.
"We
call on all people who believe man is created in the image and
likeness of God to do whatever they can to ensure a "No"
vote succeeds," said DHI Chairman Luca Volontè. "As this
is a referendum, the result will carry more weight than parliamentary
legislation. The consequences of a "Yes" vote would
therefore be disastrous for Ireland."
He
added: "Given the limited time and the huge financial resources
behind the "Yes" campaign, the best courses of action at
this stage are fervent prayer, and the intercession of St. Patrick."
The
Dignitatis
Humanae Instituteaims
to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man
is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate
human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes
this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting
them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing
efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.
