Cardinal Seán Brady has appealed for a calm and reasoned discussion on the issue of abortion.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Cardinal Brady said the Catholic Church's role in opposing any attempt to introduce abortion would include a media campaign, lobbying public representatives and providing resources to priests to preach on the topic.
He said the church believed that a referendum on abortion was possibly the only solution to the issue.
However, Cardinal Brady said the church would await the findings of the expert group and study them.
Responding to Cardinal Brady's comments on a referendum, Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte said the Government did not see any necessity for undoing what had been done to date, but did need to address the fallout from the X Case and decision of the European Court of Human Rights.
Minister Rabbitte said he was somewhat surprised at the Cardinal's reference to lobbying.
He said he did not have any objection the church stating its position and making it clear, but that it was a retrogressive step to go back to the Catholic Church dictating to elected representatives on how to address this issue.