The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has said the Government will urge the Church to celebrate all families, including same-sex headed families, during the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to Dublin for the World Meeting of Families.
He was responding to questions from Fianna Fáil TD, Robert Troy, who said he was concerned the Catholic Church might only welcome “traditional families”. Deputy Troy noted that originally the Church produced “pamphlets and booklets demonstrating more than the traditional Irish family”, but since then, “they’ve moved away from welcoming the non-traditional Irish family”. He added: “given the fact that it was, as a country, one of the first to have a referendum to establish marriage equality in the gay community, I think that is regrettable”.
Mr Varadkar said the Government is very much of the view that all the many different types of families should be celebrated, including the traditional nuclear family with the man married to the woman with children, “but also one-parent families, families led by grandparents, and families led by same-sex couples”. He promised that the State would “make it known in our meetings with the organisers that in line with our commitment to personal liberty and equality before the law, the Government’s view is that families in all their forms should be celebrated”.
While noting a commitment to freedom of religion and the separation of church and state, the Taoiseach said the Government would express its view, but promised, “we will not try to impose it on a religious body”.