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Updated at 8.40pm
A BISHOP HAS said that voting Yes in the Eighth Amendment referendum was “a sin” and those who did so should consider going to confession.
Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran told RTÉ’s Today Sean O’Rourke that if a practising Catholic “voted Yes, knowing and intending that abortion would be the outcome, then you should consider coming to confession, where you would be received with the same compassion that is shown to any other penitent”.
When asked should someone receive communion if they had voted yes, the Bishop answered:
“I think that’s a matter for their own personal conscience. I can’t see into a person’s heart or soul as they approach the altar. I have to say quite honestly in over 40 years as a priest I have never turned anybody away from Holy Communion because the presumption is that the people who approach the altar come in good faith.”
He says that although the result “was obviously quite clear-cut” that he believed those who voted Yes knowing abortion would be the outcome had committed “a sin”.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Drivetime, Father Brian D’Arcy reacted to Bishop Doran’s comments and said that he “wouldn’t like to attribute sin in this manner, at all”.
It’s the wrong language for this because this isn’t an issue about Church law at all.
“This is an issue about how the State is attempting to treat all its people in an emerging way, in an emerging Republic, in an emerging world, an ever-changing world in which many values have to be changed and looked at,” he said.
Each of us has to struggle, that’s exactly what a Christian conscience has to do, to struggle to find a way of accepting what is right for yourself, while also allowing what you couldn’t allow for yourself to be allowed for others who might view life, ethics and morality in a different way.
The language of sin is not one I would use in this, at all.
‘Can’t take a casual approach’
Earlier on Today with Sean O’Rourke, Bishop Doran said that Catholics couldn’t take a casual approach to this, “as though it didn’t make any difference”, he said.
Personally I’m obviously very sad about this. I still believe in the right to life of every person, and obviously as far as the Church is concerned, what was said Thursday last [about the referendum] is still true today.
Father D’Arcy to RTÉ’s Drivetime that a priest of the Order does not have the right to tell people how to vote.
“I would feel very insulted if someone told me how to vote,” he said.
Father D’Arcy added that Catholic teaching wasn’t up for discussion on this issue. He added that the Catholic Church has a position on abortion, but nobody was asking the Catholic Church to change their teaching.
The results of the referendum were 66% in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment, and 33% for retaining it, a landslide in favour of liberalising Ireland’s abortion laws.
“Personally I’m surprised by the extent of it,” Doran said. “I was conscious that there seemed to be a silent vote, we didn’t know what way it was going to go.”
I do find it surprising that the majority of people voted for this.
When asked whether Bishop Doran was wrong to ask those who voted Yes to go to confession, Father D’Arcy said that it is up to those who voted that way to decide. He added that going to confession is a good thing for people to do anyway.
A number of the shows listeners reacted strongly to the comments by the bishop:
I was a silent Yes, I’m a Catholic mother, grandmother, regular Mass-goer, minister of the Eucharist and above all, a compassionate person… I do hope that it will only be in extreme cases that abortion will be allowed.
I cannot believe my ears, Bishop Doran saying go to confession if you’ve voted Yes, is it any wonder that the number of people going to Mass is dropping.
I’m a practicing Catholic and I feel so sad and unwelcome now. I voted Yes, I will always stand for a woman’s right to choose, and I feel I can’t go to Mass now on Sunday if that is the way the Church will regard me.
I’m delighted at the Bishop’s comments, the celebrations in Dublin Castle was very sad.
Well done Bishop Doran, he is merely upholding the teaching of the Catholic Church.
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I’m sure lots of people throw a bet for a bit of fun. But, I can’t help but think that lots of people are going without the basics to keep Paddy in €69 million profit.
Great to see the UK and Irish governments indirectly helping out paddy power in the form of dole payments!
its insane that we see more of these shops up and down the country at the one time that people should not be wasting money on such nonsense,
either these types of shops should be more heavily restricted or there has to be a way to restrict how dole money can be spent…because betting is not an acceptable use!
I’ll waste my money on whatever nonsense I want.
Why should the shops be restricted!?! It’s a person’s own decision to go in there & bet their money!! If it turns out that the money being punted originated as a welfare payment then more-fool us, as a state, for giving it to them!!
The Chinese love to gamble even though it is illegal in Mainland China. The Chinese population in Ireland will keep Paddy Power afloat : )
They don’t need the chinese to help em, we’re not shy of a bet or two. But your right the chinese and a few more Asian countries have the gambling gene big style..
getting into bed with the Italian and Spanish governments to rip-off punters in those countries was a solid business move.
banning or severely limiting anyone who turns a profit also helps.
they’re a mickey mouse bookie really. All style, no substance.
No substance ? I bought some of their shares 18 months ago at €27 each, today they’re worth €52 each, I’ve nearly doubled my money on them so for me they have plenty of substance to go with their style. Paddy Power are one of the most profitable Irish companies about and if they manage to crack the US and Canadian markets that share price will go even higher up towards €70.
And you don’t know what you’re talking about Steve.
I don’t dispute their business acumen. They provide a lot of jobs here and I applaud them for it.
But their success is based on clever marketing and the ability to attract the casual punter that doesn’t particularly care about things like low limits and lousy margins, in contrast to somewhere like Pinnacle where competitiveness pricing and limits are everything.
Paddy Power is not a place for serious punters and any book that offers odds on a market and then only allows a customer to place less than a tenner on it is Mickey Mouse in my book.
And I can assure you I know what I’m talking about.
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