Vikram Johri: Lessons from Ireland

Gay rights activists had another huge reason to celebrate last month. Ireland's written constitution cannot be changed without a referendum or a popular vote, which is why to redefine marriage constitutionally, in order that it may include same sex marriage, the country voted on May 22. And as the results have shown, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of broadening the scope of marriage to include gay and lesbian couples.

At a time when gay rights seem to have become mainstream, the fact that Ireland, particularly given it's a Western nation, has ratified a change in the definition of marriage may not look like a big deal. But Ireland's case is different from the other countries that have shown forward movement on gay rights. As late as 1993, homosexuality was illegal in the country - one in which the Roman Catholic Church has held a great sway over ordinary life. Even Irish art, for example the work of James Joyce, is deeply steeped in theology. To then have a nearly 75 per cent vote in favour of gay marriage is indeed a game-changer. How did it happen?

The tension between the Roman Catholic Church and gay rights has had a long and troubled history, and not just in Ireland. Its views of gay people have changed over the years, from heathens with the devil in them, to sufferers who must be pitied. While this may look like forward movement, it has not endeared itself to a modern populace steeped in ideas of liberty and equality. Pope Benedict, the last Pope before the current incumbent, did not harbour exactly positive views on gay marriage. While his stance on homosexuality as a sin was neutralised by his tendency to look upon gay people as sufferers, he was vehemently against gay marriage. On the subject he had declared, while still a cardinal: "Above all, we must have great respect for these people who also suffer and who want to find their own way of correct living. On the other hand, to create a legal form of a kind of homosexual marriage, in reality, does not help these people."

Why it does not help "these people" can be understood by the Church's insistence on the heterosexual family as the primary force behind civilised society. Philosophically, Pope Benedict's case was this: "We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognise anything as definitive and has as its highest value one's own ego and one's own desires... The church needs to withstand the tides of trends and the latest novelties.... We must become mature in this adult faith. We must guide the flock of Christ to this faith."

To redefine marriage would have meant a complete overthrow of the traditional social structure and a nod to the relativism that the then Cardinal was so careful to chastise in his speech. Pope Francis has made similar noises - if with greater sensitivity. On being asked about his opinion on homosexuality, Pope Francis famously remarked: "Who am I to judge?" But like his predecessor, this Pope has also sought forgiveness for those he thought were essentially sinners. Gay people in this narrative must lead lives of repentance in which they seek forgiveness for their homosexuality. There is no question of granting them equal privileges in a largely straight society.

While the Church, for all Roman Catholic societies but especially so for Ireland, stands as a beacon of hope and kindness, its message on gay rights has consistently refused to be sublime. In fact, an elderly Irish couple explained their support for the "Yes" vote to Time magazine thus: "We are Catholics, and we are taught to believe in compassion and love and fairness and inclusion. Equality, that's all we're voting for." To such people looking to the Church for spiritual succour, it seemed to have failed in its ability to provide answers. Meanwhile, the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Church in the past couple of years eroded its authority. When tales of paedophiliac ministers made the rounds of the Vatican, the Church exposed its hypocrisy by appearing uninterested in publicly humiliating the sinners. The sex abuse scandal made the Church's workings appear like a giant conspiracy.

In the largely young country that Ireland is, such divisions have entailed a massive change in attitudes towards gay rights. Does Ireland's case have lessons for India? Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, no! Even if there is a religious component to the Sangh Parivar's challenge to gay rights, the lack of a Hindu Church will ensure that the arguments against gay marriage back home will only partially be about religion. What we will need, though, is the fervent desire to topple the old order that the Irish youth have shown.