THE Church of Ireland Bishop of the cross-border diocese
Kilmore, the Rt Revd Ferran Glenfield, has added his name to that
of his Roman Catholic counterpart, the Most Revd Kevin Doran, in
opposition to legislation for same-sex marriage.
Bishop Glenfield, a well-known Evangelical, has joined a
50-strong ecumenical group which produced a document, Same-sex
Marriage Referendum May 2015: A cross-denominational
response. It says that "freedom of conscience will be
challenged by a 'Yes' vote. Service providers such as caterers and
photographers would be acting illegally if, on grounds of
conscience, they were to decline services for same-sex
weddings."
Bishop Glenfield's stance highlights the divisions between
Evangelical and liberal wings in the Irish House of Bishops on the
subject: the northern bishops are more likely to voice opposition
to the referendum on the issue in the Republic next May.
At least two bishops in the southern province - the Rt Revd
Michael Burrows of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory, and Bishop Paul
Colton, of Cork - are known to approve of same-sex
partnerships.
The C of I group Changing Attitude Ireland, which is calling on
people to vote yes, expressed disappointment with Bishop
Glenfield's stance. Its chairman, Dr Richard O'Leary, said that
"Bishop Glenfield should be mindful of how, in the past, the
[Roman] Catholic and Protestant Churches opposed mixed marriages."
Dr O'Leary said that he was disappointed that bishops should be
seeking to introduce the right of businesses to discriminate
against customers on the basis of sexual orientation
In a poll in the newspaper The Irish Timeson Monday, 78
per cent of the respondents approved of same-sex marriage, and 71
per cent said that gay couples should be allowed to adopt
children.
The Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland has decided to
take a neutral stance on the same-sex marriage issue. On Tuesday,
the group, which represents more than 1000 priests, issued a
statement asking priests not to influence their parishioners in
either direction. This is in contrast to the RC bishops, who are
calling for a "No" vote.