Two traditionally Catholic countries recently legalized same-sex marriage. In Ireland, the constitution was amended by popular referendum; in Mexico, the legal change has quietly developed in the nation’s court systems. Though Catholic bishops and other church officials in each country purport to adhere to the same theological underpinnings and Church teachings, there are glaring differences in their official responses.
In Ireland, Catholic Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin gave a notable weak response. Prior to the referendum, Archbishop Martin commented that he had “no affiliation with any group of No campaigners” and that he would not tell others how to vote on the issue. Following the referendum, Archbishop Martin, in an interview with Irish broadcasting company RTE, said that the movement was a
