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02/06/2008
Priest Tells Congregation To Vote 'No'
A catholic priest has told his congregation to vote 'No' in the Lisbon treaty referendum accusing Europe of being "godless".
In a controversial letter to his parish members on Sunday, Father Des Sweeney, parish priest in Ramelton, Co Donegal, said that by voting 'No' they would have God on their side, and accused the Dáil of asking the public to hand more control to "heathen democrats".
"Even if you don't have the majority voting with you, you will have made yourself a friend of God, you will have God on your side," he said.
The 75-year-old priest, who is known as a 'healer' in the north west claimed if the treaty was passed, the "so-called" charter of human rights would, in time, become legally binding, regardless of assurances given by the government.
Father Sweeney further criticised Europe saying: "For them, Christianity is out-moded, a thing of the past, to be treated with disdain. The European Charter of Human Rights contains no mention of God or of Europe's Christian roots and ethos.
"They seem to loathe the very idea of God... This is the Europe we are being asked to say 'Yes' to, surrender ourselves to," he said.
(DW/JM)
In a controversial letter to his parish members on Sunday, Father Des Sweeney, parish priest in Ramelton, Co Donegal, said that by voting 'No' they would have God on their side, and accused the Dáil of asking the public to hand more control to "heathen democrats".
"Even if you don't have the majority voting with you, you will have made yourself a friend of God, you will have God on your side," he said.
The 75-year-old priest, who is known as a 'healer' in the north west claimed if the treaty was passed, the "so-called" charter of human rights would, in time, become legally binding, regardless of assurances given by the government.
Father Sweeney further criticised Europe saying: "For them, Christianity is out-moded, a thing of the past, to be treated with disdain. The European Charter of Human Rights contains no mention of God or of Europe's Christian roots and ethos.
"They seem to loathe the very idea of God... This is the Europe we are being asked to say 'Yes' to, surrender ourselves to," he said.
(DW/JM)
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