The Save the 8th group has defended the practice of allowing pro-life lay speakers address Masses all over the country at the invitation of priests and bishops. It was responding to a statement from the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) which said the practice could be regarded by some Church-going Catholics as “inappropriate and insensitive” and “an abuse of the Eucharist”.

The ACP said that as a group “of men who are unmarried and without children of our own, we are not best placed to be in any way dogmatic on this issue”. Yet it decried the practice of laypeople with experience of marriage, or child-rearing, or expertise in medicine or law addressing congregations. And despite their disavowal of wisdom on the matter, they said they acccepted Church teaching that life is sacred but added that “human life is complex, throwing up situations that are more often grey than black and white and that demand from us a sensitive, non-judgemental, pastoral approach”.

A spokesperson for Savethe8th said the ACP “appears to be worried that Catholics may hear Catholic teaching reflected at Catholic Masses”.

“If we have reached the point where speaking about the right to life in a Christian church is in some way controversial, that would be a sign that hysteria has overtaken rational discourse in this referendum campaign.”