SubmissionsFrom: John Ferry 23 Marymount, Sligo. 14/1/2005 The Secretary, All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution. RE.
Submissions to the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution. Hereunder is my submission. It is comprised substantially of a submission made to the Irish Episcopal Conference on matters relating to abortion and recognition of same sex marriages etc. The only additions are the Introduction and the Conclusion paragraphs. Secretary, Irish Episcopal Conference, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Co. Kildare. Re.Submission to All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution. Dear Secretary, I understand that you are preparing a submission for the above Committee. In that regard I wish to advise that I have read with concern remarks attributed to the Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin relative to Government proposals to review the definition of marriage, as expressed in our Constitution, to provide for the legal recognition of lesbian, homosexual and other immoral relationships. My concern is that we may be facing another "compromise" similar to the one, which ostensibly had the support of Rome for the Government's last attempt to introduce abortion into Ireland. GOVERNMENT'S ABORTION REFERENDUM,
2002 On that occasion, it was reported, that you unanimously recommended the faithful could in conscious support those proposals which provided for, what is proclaimed by the Church as intrinsically evil - the killing of the unborn by abortion or by the use of the abortificient morning-after-pill. I have refused to believe and remain unconvinced that such a consensus could be achieved amicably unless you were all in darkness or terrorised. At the time the electorate rejected your recommendations and those intrinsically evil propositions and our people have, so far, been spared the letting of the innocent blood of the unborn on Irish soil. The proposal to legalise the morning-after-pill, which is defined by the Church as "nothing other than chemical abortion" was likewise rejected. We know now that Rome did not support either proposal. I believe that as a result of your recommendations for the false and misleading proposals in that Referendum the evil associated with the killing of the unborn was undermined in the eyes of many. Immediately afterwards the morning-after-pill became readily available for sale across the counter in, perhaps, every pharmacy in Ireland. Condoms became available in every Regional College and University in Ireland while every such institution has a Chaplain representing the bishop. The morning-after-pill will likewise become freely available out of "concern" for the mental health etc. of students and in recognition of the "right" to kill the baby. There is no opposition.
NEW GODLESS EU CONSTITUTION - ABORTION Our politicians are on the abortion trail again by means of the forthcoming Referendum on Irelands acceptance of the Godless EU Constitution. It is, apparently, sufficiently socialist in content to command all-party support. Our members of the EU have made no secret of their denial of God and not one Irish voice was heard in protest since Dana's political demise or martyrdom in Ireland on behalf of the unborn. This Godless Constitution's "Charter of Fundamental Rights" enshrines and protects the mother's "right to choose" to have her baby killed by a doctor, qualified to do so in an approved place. Our socialist Taoiseach has already signed acceptance of this intrinsically evil Charter on behalf of the Government. He will need your support to have it endorsed by the people and accordingly he would welcome your support now for the recognition of homosexual marriages. The new Constitution has never been debated in the Oireachtas and not one member of the Oireachtas has opposed it or sought to have it debated.
ALL-PARTY COMMITTEE ON HOMOSEXUL MARRIAGES The Church has something to say also about Ireland's politician's proposals and anxieties to conform to EU aspirations to abolish mortal sin by the legal recognition of same sex marriages or "rights" or "dependencies" arising out of homosexual or lesbian relationships. The proposals are supported by the Taoiseach who says that such relationships are no longer immoral or improper and by a statement from a religious leader stating that such immoral relationships " can no doubt be loving" in the eyes of God. However, the Church's Teaching is outlined clearly by The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican Document entitled "CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS". It states: - "Those who would move from tolerance to the legitimisation of specific rights of cohabiting homosexual persons need to be reminded that the approval or legalisation of evil is something far different from the tolerance of evil." It goes on to teach that, " One must refrain from any kind of formal cooperation in the enactment of such gravely unjust laws and as far as possible from material cooperation in the level of their application." This Document also teaches: - "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 favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral." This also applies to Catholic lawmakers in Ireland. The Catholic bishops in the USA have courageously reminded the whole world of a Catholic's obligation to vote against parties or individuals supporting abortion or same sex marriages. As in the last Referendum when you recommended support for the Government's false and misleading proposals to Protect the Unborn in Pregnancy, you were, in fact, recommending support for the introduction of abortion in Ireland. The Government's intentions were clearly set out by the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Minister Martin prior to the Referendum. You did not question their declared intentions to introduce abortion and legalise the morning-after-pill. CONCLUSION The foregoing is part of a submission made to The Irish Episcopal
Conference regarding Government's proposals to give Constitutional recognition
to mortal sin. Recognition by a Constitution that is grounded " In the Name of the Most
Holy Trinity, from whom is all authority and to Whom as our final end, all
actions of both men and State must be referred." To seek or recommend support for the incorporation of such a diabolical piece of legislation in the name of The Most Holy Trinity is blasphemy, an affront and challenge to Almighty God. In order to accommodate such a proposal the people of Ireland must, in the first instance, deny Almighty God and remove any reference to The Most Holy Trinity from Bunreacht na hEireann. The last all-party Referendum attempt to gain Constitutional approval for the murder of the unborn was likewise grievously immoral. On that occasion, Mr. Michael Noonan, F.G., Leader of the Opposition, threatened that if elected he would legalise such murder without a Referendum. In the course of the election Mr. Noonan resigned as leader of Fine Gael while the ballot boxes were being opened and when it was becoming painfully clear that the Irish people were murdering Fine Gael. Only one Fine Gael frontbencher survived. The legalisation of divorce and buggery were likewise acts of gross defiance and disobedience. Should you recommend recognition of same sex marriages or "rights" or "dependencies " arising out such relationships you will recommending public disobedience to and denial of Almighty God by the people of Ireland. Death is the consequence of disobedience. Eternal life the reward for the good and faithful servant. By the Grace of God we always have the "right to choose." Yours sincerely, John Ferry |