An ecumenical coalition of Irish denominations have released a joint statement denouncing the upcoming decriminalization of abortion and legalization of same-sex marriage in the Republic of Northern Ireland due to a vote taken by British Parliament.
In July, British Parliament held two votes that legalized abortion and same-sex marriage in the Republic of Northern Ireland; they will likely take effect on Oct. 21 unless the British nation forms a government that counters the votes.
Leaders representing the Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Irish Council of Churches released a joint statement on Monday calling on people to lobby local elected officials about the changes.
The joint statement denounced the Parliament votes, stating that it there “is no evidence that these changes reflect the will of the people affected by them, as they were not consulted.”
“We are calling on the Secretary of State to recall the Assembly before 21 October to provide an opportunity for the parties to take the necessary steps both to prevent these laws coming onto effect and to find a better Northern Ireland solution for these challenging issues,” stated the churches.