Irish Lead Social Revolution for Human and Spiritual Rights of Gays in Vote for Marriage Equality by Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP plus link to excellent article by Mary Hunt

Bridget Mary's Response: The Irish are leading the social revolution for gay rights by approving marriage equality. Their vote affirms everyone's holy union. It is  a victory for humanity, and an affirmation of justice, compassion and equality.  
The Vatican is on the wrong side of history again. Cardinal Pierlene's statement that the Irish vote supporting gay marriage as a "defeat for humanity,"reflects the Vatican's failure to understand that the spiritual equality and human rights of LGBT persons is the main moral issue in marriage equality.   
 Perhaps, it is the young adults in Ireland who are leading the Catholic Church forward at this time in history. The values of Gospel living and loving are lessons they have obviously learned well. 
In the words of an old song : "It's a great day for the Irish and I am proud of my homeland!" Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, www.arcwp.org

Mary Hunt's excellent analysis: http://religiondispatches.org/did-ireland-just-bury-the-catholic-church/
The photo on the front page of the Washington Post said it all on the day after Ireland’s landmark same-sex marriage referendum. Two elderly Carmelite nuns in full habits were pictured leaving their polling place in Malahide, not far from Dublin. The caption read: “Roman Catholic leaders have led the opposition, but opinion polls signaled approval.”
 "But the Irish referendum means that a top-down, clergy-heavy model of church heard its death knell in Dublin. As it reverberates around the world the Gospel message might get a little more airtime. As the Irish say, it will make a glass eye cry—with joy."

Vatican Gloom and Doom View on Irish Referendum Approving Gay Marriage
 http://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/27/vatican-irish-gay-marriage-vote-a-defeat-for-humanity/21187566/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-853854980

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican's secretary of state has called the Irish vote to legalize gay marriage a "defeat for humanity," evidence of the soul-searching going on in Catholic circles after the predominantly Roman Catholic country overwhelmingly rejected traditional church teaching on marriage.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin said he was saddened by the landslide decision, in which more than 62 percent of Irish voters said "yes," despite church teaching that marriage is only between a man and woman.

In comments to reporters Tuesday evening, Parolin referred to remarks by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, that the results showed the church needed to do a "reality check" since it clearly wasn't reaching young people with its message.

"I don't think you can speak only about a defeat for Christian principles, but a defeat for humanity," he said.

The Catholic Church in Ireland has lost much of its moral authority following widespread sex abuse scandals and a general secularization of society. Martin himself called the vote part of a "social revolution" that required the church to look at whether it had "drifted completely away from young people."