Media release 17 June 2010
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has dismissed a statement by the Catholic Bishops in which they said the Civil Partnership Bill undermines the constitutional position of marriage.
Adding his voice to those of gay rights groups, the rights watchdog’s Director Mr Mark Kelly said:
“The ICCL seriously doubts that the Irish Catholic Bishops retain sufficient moral authority to pontificate on the Civil Partnership Bill. This Bill is a secular measure to combat discrimination being passed through the democratic parliament of a secular state. It contains not a single word regarding the moral preferences or religious practices of the Catholic Church”.
“It is the ongoing absence of full equality for all forms of family in Ireland, and the not the Civil Partnership Bill, which brings the existing institution of marriage into disrepute” Mr Kelly concluded.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Walter Jayawardene
Campaigns and Communications Officer
Irish Council for Civil Liberties
9-13 Blackhall Place
Dublin 7
Ireland
Tel. + 353 1 799 4504
Mob: +353 87 9981574
E-mail: walter.jayawardene@iccl.ie