The Republic of Ireland is considering a Civil Partnership Bill.
See this earlier report on what the Evangelical Alliance Ireland said about it.
The Church of Ireland Gazette has a report this week on what the Church of Ireland is doing in relation to it. See C. of I. delegation on Civil Partnership Bill (scroll down for item).
…”The group expressed the view that many in the Church of Ireland would welcome the legislation and that it was important that Government legislated for all its citizens. They did, however, raise issues relating to freedom of conscience and property.”
In response to a request for further information on those issues, the Gazette was told that some members of the delegation had expressed concern over freedom of conscience issues for registrars who may have objections to participating in civil partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples.
The issues of property, we were told, related to the availability of parish halls under the Equal Status Act in respect of goods and services. We were told that clarity was also sought on the issue of Church halls that were not made commercially available, and that Department officials had said they would respond on that point…
In this difficult time for the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, concerning paedophilia in the Church, it behoves the Church of Ireland to ‘come clean’ on the reality of the modern attitude towards sexuality in other, more enlightened, parts of the Christian world. This gives the C.of I. a wonderful opportunity to express the Gospel of inclusivity – in a renewed understanding of homosexuality, and of the good to be observed in monogamous loving relationships – whether hetero- or homosexual. This might also help to clear the air on the basic difference between paedophilia (a disease) and homosexuality, which is… Read more »