Church ‘didn’t invite speaker to mark marriage vote’

The Church of Ireland said that the visit of a controversial evangelist to a congregation in Wexford was not timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the marriage equality referendum.

Argentinean speaker Ed Silvoso, who has described the marriage of gay couples as “blatant immorality”, was due to speak at the Redcross Church north of Arklow on Sunday, a year to the day since the marriage equality referendum was held.

The Church of Ireland has said that the invitation to Dr Silvoso has been rescinded, but would not say when asked if Canon Roland Heaney, Rector at Redcross Church, had been aware of Mr Silvoso’s pronouncements on homosexuality when he asked him to speak.