Plan for a cross-party photocall of pro-lifers leaves leaders furious
CAMPAIGNERS involved in the Eighth Amendment should no longer be allowed to speak at Mass, a group of priests has said.
The Association of Catholic Priests has said they feel ‘it would be better if this practice ceased for the rest of the campaign.’
They added that some Catholics feel it is ‘inappropriate and insensitive’ to allow the pulpit to be used for the divisive issue.
PLANS by pro-life TDs within the Dáil to organise a cross-party photograph have provoked fury at top level in the big political parties.
The plan has emerged in the wake of the Fianna Fáil pro-life photo opportunity which dramatically revealed the scale of the revolt against the position of leader Micheál Martin.
One senior FF source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Micheál was furious over the photograph last week, he was only short of glaring out the window at the rebels.’
In the wake of the initiative, the growing underground pro-life movement within Leinster House are now planning a cross-party initiative where all the opponents of Repeal the Eighth will be photographed together.
One senior source said: ‘There is an increasing amount of contact between the pro-life wings of the various political parties deciding on how we will work together.’
They added: ‘The idea of a crossparty photocall is gathering serious interest. That photograph would really be indicative of the scale of opposition to this referendum.’
The idea was gathering support within Fine Gael over the weekend. One minister said: ‘A cross-party photocall is a good idea; a number of us are working towards it.’
Whilst the extent of the FF split was known, another FG minister warned: ‘We are as split as Fianna Fáil. Half of our party members are opposed to this referendum.’
To date just over 30 of FG’s TDs, ministers and senators have declared their support for the referendum. One dissident minister said: ‘There is real concern in the Dublin-centred party hierarchy that this referendum is getting away from them.’
In relation to the proposed crossparty photocall, one FF source said: ‘A photograph of 60 TDs would send a powerful message on the real scale of opposition to this referendum.’
One source said of this week’s photograph of the 31 pro-lifers: ‘There were no friends of Micheál there. His 10 pro-choice supporters look like a thin lot indeed when compared to those pictured.’