Catholic politicians have a moral obligation to vote against the upcoming Civil Partnership Bill that will give gay and lesbian couples almost all of the rights of married couples, according to Family Solidarity. In a statement following its AGM last week, the organisation called on its members to remind ''their public representatives of the constitutional rights of the family and of married persons and to seek amendments to the proposed bill to ensure this.''
The statement pointed out that the Civil Partnership Bill will give same-sex couples all of the rights of married couples except the right to adopt a child as a couple.
Homosexuals can already adopt as single people.
Ceremony
The Bill will also allow for a marriage-like ceremony between same-sex couples.
Family Solidarity quoted a Vatican document in order to remind Catholics, including politicians, of their duty to oppose same-sex civil unions.
According to the Vatican: ''When legislation in favour of the recognition of homosexual unions is proposed for the first time in a legislative assembly, the Catholic law-maker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and publicly and to vote against it.
''To vote in favour of a law so harmful to the common good is clearly immoral.''
The document, called 'Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons', was issued in 2003.
Dáil
The Civil Partnership Bill was published at the beginning of the summer. It is due to be debated in the Dáil in the coming weeks.
It will then go to the crucial committee stage shortly after that when amendments to the Bill can be proposed.
In Ireland, unlike in other jurisdictions such as Britain, there is no parliamentary tradition of allowing politicians to vote along conscience lines.
This means that any Irish politician considering voting against the Bill will have to risk losing the party whip.
Family Solidarity was founded in 1984 to ''promote the best interest of the family''. It can be contacted at familysolidarityireland@ gmail.com
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