Labour TD Sean Sherlock is upset because anti-Lisbon leaflets claiming (wrongly in my view) that the promised EU protocols will not protect Ireland against abortion etc have been put on display in two churches in the diocese of Cloyne.
He thinks this is a violation of people’s right to go to Mass “without being bombarded with messages from either side in the debate”.
He says that the placing of such messages complete with religious iconography in a church setting “is a clear abuse of the openness and accessibility of churches.”
I have some slight sympathy with Deputy Sherlock’s point of view. Churches should not be politicised as a rule. However, suppose we were having a referendum on abortion? Churches would be perfectly entitled to carry leaflets from pro-life organisations under such circumstances.
However, at the end of the day it is up to the parish priest, and not a politician, to decide what material he allows into his church and what material he doesn’t allow. Parishioners will obviously have their own opinion on this score as well and are obviously free to make them known to the priest.
I’m interested though at the amount of pressure being placed on the Church during this referendum to give absolutely no succour to the no side.