Dear Editor, There has been much talk in Catholic Church circles about next year’s planned referendum to permit same-sex marriage. Can I be alone in looking towards the referendum campaign with trepidation? Recent months have shown that there is very little temperance in Ireland when it comes to public debates about sensitive moral issues. Undoubtedly, many Catholics will look to their Church for leadership on the issue. May I make a suggestion: that the Church keep out of the debate on the substantive issue of gay marriage and instead show leadership in repeatedly calling for calm and reasonable debates on the issue? Pope Francis has excoriated Catholics for being obsessed with issues like gay marriage. The Church has a particularly worldview which sees the family as being based on marriage between one man and one woman. Many people disagree with this stance. Maybe we are going to have to live in a country where people agree to have different understandings of the word marriage. As far as the Church is concerned, any involvement in a campaign is likely to be counterproductive and stir up ill-feeling towards the Church.
Yours etc.,
Geraldine Keane,
South Circular Road,
Dublin 8.