Ireland will soon be following the footsteps of America and grant gay and lesbian couples the right to get married now that both houses of Parliament just passed the same-sex marriage legislation.
All they need now is for President Michael Higgins to sign the law, according to CNN. "Historic day after a long journey!" tweeted Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald. "Well done to everybody involved!"
Even Prime Minister Kenny lauded the recent move by tweeting, "For gay sons & daughters, brothers & sisters, family & friends -- the end of a long journey, the beginning of a new day. #MarRef."
With the expected signing of the same-sex marriage measure into law, which is scheduled sometime next week, gay and lesbian couples would be allowed to tie the knot within just a matter of days.
Many people voted against the same-sex marriage measure during a referendum in the predominantly Catholic nation six months ago. But in the end, there were simply more supporters of same-sex marriage than critics. The final referendum results revealed that 1.2 million voted in favour of same-sex marriage while 735,000 voted against it.
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin earlier told the Synod of Bishops in Rome that same-sex marriage proponents in Ireland actually used the bishops' "language" to support their cause.
"The referendum was debated within a social culture where people struggle to understand abstract moral principles. What they do understand is the predicament of individuals whom they wish to see happy and included," he said. "It is a very individualistic culture, but not necessarily an uncaring one. Indeed those in favour of same-sex marriage based their campaign on what was traditionally our language: equality, compassion, respect and tolerance."
Martin argued that even though Ireland's youth make decisions on marriage based on the "context of a flawed and antagonistic social culture," it is still not right to condemn them.
"Even within a flawed social culture of the family there are those who seek something more—and we have to touch their hearts," he said.
