You would think that the Roman Catholic hierarchy in Ireland has better things to do than continue wittering on about gay rights issues. But no. Their strategy – as it is for the Vatican downwards – continues to be to try to distract from their child abuse issues by attacking equal rights: the gays (and women’s control over our own bodies).

Not content with seeking to influence the workings of government and the legislature, they are now trying to interfere with internal party machinations: in calling for a “free vote” in respect of the Civil Partnership Bill, the bishops are demanding that Ireland’s elected political parties abandon the whip: effectively calling on parties to abandon the party line on this particular policy issue.

(They’re regurgitating the florists’ cop-out, too, this time in respect of registrars, who are civil servants – employed by the State – and who are obliged to carry out their functions.)

The bishops are also claiming to be able to correctly interpret the Constitution of this State when they say that the Civil Partnership Bill is unconstitutional. A Department of Justice and Law Reform spokesman has this morning rejected this claim, and let’s face it no-one with a brain in their heads could possibly regard civil partnerships as unconstitutional. The provisions in the Bill concerning cohabitation, however, might be another matter. Nonetheless, interpreting the Constitution is the exclusive domain of the Supreme Court of Ireland.

Still, it’s not a secret that the Roman Catholic church is opposed to the principle of democracy. This is not a controversial statement. It’s a principle of Roman Catholic dogma so fundamental that it’s taken for granted.

Isn’t there a provision in the Constitution outlawing subversion and sedition? Oh yes. The Catholic hierarchy should be familiar with it – it’s in the provision outlawing blasphemy:

6. 1° The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the following rights, subject to public order and morality:

i. The right of the citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions.

[…]

The publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law.

Enactment of Civil Partnership legislation

RTÉ’s Joe Little reported on today’s Morning Ireland on when we can expect the Civil Partnership Bill to become law. Around Pride? August-September? Who’s to say…

Mr Ahern’s spokesman conceded that because of a log-jam of Bills, the Minister anticipated a possible delay until the autumn in the measure becoming law.

However, the Green Party spokesman forecast that it would be enacted within three weeks before the summer recess begins.

• You can read more on Civil Partnerships on this blog here.

• You can follow the discussion of Civil Partnerships on Twitter using the #cpbill hashtag.

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