Support an Irish priest and bishop who have defended the dignity of the human person
Thank Irish priest and bishop who are standing for Life in Cobh
Thank Irish priest and bishop who are standing for Life in Cobh
The Administrator of Cobh Cathedral, Fr John McCarthy, has removed Mr Ken Curtin from the Lectors' rota at the Cathedral.
Mr Curtin has not only supported the removal of the 8th Amendment (the "Pro-Life Amendment") from the Irish Constitution, as a candidate for the Social Democrats in the last election, he is also subsequently on record as saying that he, "[holds] particular liberal views on particular issues that don’t always dovetail with the church’s position."
The 8th Amendment is the pro-life amendment to the Irish Constitution, which affords equal protection of the right to life, to mother and unborn baby.
With a public stance against the dignity of the human person, so contrary to the teaching of the Gospel as well as to the teaching of the Church, Fr McCarthy's action was only a logical response to Mr Curtin's public position.
Thankfully, the Bishop of the Cloyne Diocese, Dr William Crean, has supported Fr McCarthy's decision.
This petition, therefore, does two things: 1) It thanks Fr McCarthy and Bishop Crean for their principled stand on this important matter; and, 2) It asks for them to stand firm on this decision.
Lectors serve an important, public function in the institutional Church; therefore, it could definitely appear as scandalous if someone in such a public position were to publicly hold to a view which is opposed to human dignity and the right to life of the human person. It could certainly also appear as a tacit endorsement of those destructive views, if the situation were allowed to persist.
Certain sectors of the Irish media would prefer to focus on the "authoritarian Church", but most people instinctively understand that no-one has a "right" to a position in the Church, and that no-one is entitled to retain a public position in the Church if they differ on such a fundamental issue.
So, please sign this petition thanking the priest and bishop for this common sense decision.
Thank you.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://irishcatholic.ie/article/cobh-politician-shocked-being-dropped-mass-reader
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democrats_(Ireland)
http://www.rte.ie/news/election-2016/constituencies/cork-east/