Marry up a mountain in new, godless Europe

TWICE in the past few weeks newspapers have highlighted significant moves in relation to the role of Church and State.

The first proposal suggests the biggest shake-up of marriage law in more than 150 years. The religious and civil functions of marriage will be separated and the rule that confines weddings to a church or registry office will end.

A draft report from Government recommends stripping registration powers away from the Catholic Church and all other religious denominations.

The public can then pick from a panel of 'solemnisers'. The solemniser will act as witness and administer the vows that will be recognised formally by the State once papers are filed.

The marriage can take place in any picturesque location, from a mountaintop to a swimming pool in your back garden (or in church, of course), provided the proposed venue is "dignified and appropriate".

The second big change is in connection with the European constitution. A draft preamble of the changes in a new text just released avoids any direct mention of God or of Europe's spiritual traditions.

God is to be left out of the new EU constitution, despite vigorous lobbying from the Pope, church leaders and former Taoiseach John Bruton.

The weakening impact of religion in our midst is all too obvious.

The accelerating liberalism, materialism, drug and alcohol abuse and crime are also symptomatic of this.

Quickly evaporating, too, are the three main pillars of Irish society and culture: loyalty to family, loyalty to church and loyalty to country.

All because we were too gulliblein accepting each EU treaty on Government advice, without studying its true implications from Nice back to Maastricht, the point at which, I believe, we 'sold our souls to the devil.'

James A Gleeson,

'The Grove,'

Thurles,

Co Tipperary