Last week’s statement by the Catholic Bishops is the strongest ever confirmation that there is absolutely no religious or ethical basis to vote against the Lisbon Treaty, according to Longford/ Westmeath Deputy Mary O’Rourke.
Deputy O’Rourke, who is a member of the Oireachtas’ European Affairs Committee, was speaking after the appearance of Bishop Noel Treanor of Down & Connor on behalf of the Catholic Bishops at a special meeting of the Committee.
During the meeting Bishop Treanor said unequivocally: “There are no grounds to justify a No vote in the Lisbon Treaty on the basis of specifically religious or ethical concerns”.
Deputy O’Rourke welcomed the statement from the Bishop Yes in good conscience to the Lisbon Treaty, and the final rebuff to the deeply cynical attempts of Coir and the UK Independence Party to exploit the faith of Irish Catholics to further their anti-EU agenda.
“I also welcome Bishop Treanor’s very clear statement that ‘No organisation actively lobbying in the current campaign, using either print or other media, speaks for or on behalf of the Catholic Church’,” she added.
