Paul Keenan
Dear Editor, Responding to Geraldine Keane’s letter, Church’s position on same-sex marriage (IC Letters 27/3/14), I share her “trepidation” for the forthcoming campaign towards the same-sex marriage referendum.
If recent events have demonstrated anything, it is that for some agenda-driven groups and individuals, no act is too extreme in silencing opposing voices in the drive towards voting day.
There is much to commend her suggestion that the hierarchy demonstrate true leadership not in pushing itself to the fore in restating ad nauseam Church teaching on marriage and sin – look at the virulent reactions to that approach in the gay-friendly secular press – but in steering a “calm and reasonable debate on the issue”.
I would love to believe that such an approach would do much in bringing opposing sides together in an arena of calm and mutual respect, but sadly I do not share Geraldine’s optimism that the Church can be, in the eyes of opponents, anything but an arch-enemy to be thrashed at every opportunity (and I include a timeframe long after any potential passage of same-sex legislation).
As Geraldine concludes, we may indeed be forced to live with a different understanding of marriage. The best we can do in such a circumstance is to remain true to our Church and ensure its own ‘different understanding’ is not silenced by opponents.
Yours etc.,
Margaret Casey,
Douglas,
Co. Cork.
