The Constitution of the Republic of Ireland begins: “In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred.” And now, as of last week, that same constitution has enshrined a redefinition of marriage to include those of the same sex. Ireland has become the first country in the world to redefine marriage by means of popular vote.
It is hard to exaggerate the importance of this moment for the Church in Ireland. For a country whose governing document refers all things to the Most Holy Trinity to vote in an overwhelming margin in favor of redefining marriage suggests a monumental misunderstanding of Christian faith.
The Biblical understanding of marriage does not discriminate against anybody. It makes the common sense assertion that one friendship is not the same as another. The union of a man and a woman bonded together for life is unique. The complementarity of a man and woman alone brings new life into the world. In a word, love-making and life-making go together.
How the Catholic faith of the Irish people collapsed is a question historians will ponder for decades. The Irish people now await a new St. Patrick who God is certainly preparing even at this moment. The Irish people need a new champion of the truth about God and man. The truth that once took hold in Ireland now awaits a new herald.
