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02nd Jun 2018

Irish Bishop Says Yes Voters Must “Go To Confession” And “Examine Their Conscience”

Darragh Berry

An Irish Bishop has said that Yes Voters must go to confession before they receive communion. 

The controversial comments were made by Waterford and Lismore Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan who said that Yes voters would “have to answer” for their decision.

He added that Ireland had finally accepted “euthanasia” by voting to repeal the Eighth Amendment and bring abortion in the country.

Speaking to WLRFM on Friday, Bishop Cullinan states that people can not hold the information of their vote from their parish priests. 

“They should examine their conscience, they should talk to the priest, they should go to confession.

“If somebody has something that they are unsure about…St Paul says very clearly in scripture that to receive holy communion unworthily is a very serious matter for which you will have to answer.”

He went on to say that, if a person had voted yes but had not gone to confession, “I would like to talk to that person [about it]”.

“On the spot [however] that is a totally different matter, because then you are politicising the actual Mass itself, very awkward situation that you don’t want to get into.”

“People cannot claim ignorance. If they do, it’s culpable ignorance.

“If they do it’s very a serious issue. If people have knowingly and willingly voted Yes, well then they have to examine their conscience and go before the Lord and say ‘Lord, we got this wrong’. I do believe that.

“Let’s face it, euthanasia has now been accepted, in the sense that we have accepted, the majority of the Irish people have accepted, that some life is not worthy of life.”

It comes in the same week that the Bishop of Elphin hit headlines on Monday morning after he said those who voted yes in the recent referendum on the Eighth Amendment had sinned and needed to go to confession

The Bishop’s comments were met with a classy and 21st century response in the evening by Priest Fr. Brian D’Arcy.

As well as this, ‘yes’ voters were told in this parish that they “weren’t welcome” at mass on Sunday.

You can listen to the full interview with Bishop Cullinan below.

READ NEXT: Row Over Referendum Sees Irish Priest Remove Clothing Bank From Church Grounds

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