Religion in the Republic of Ireland
The predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland is Christianity, with the largest church being the Roman Catholic Church. The Irish constitution says that the state may not endorse any particular religion and guarantees freedom of religion.
Homosexuality and the Anglican Communion
In 2015, the Bishop of Cork, Paul Colton, announced his support of same-sex marriage, becoming the first Church of Ireland bishop to do so, saying that "The events in society are moving very rapidly and the church is not at all up to pace with the debate." Following Bishop Colton, two retired archbishops of Dublin also voiced their 'yes' vote in favour of same-sex marriages. The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, Michael Burrows, also endorsed same-sex marriage. While opposing gay marriage, Bishop Pat Storey, Ireland's first woman bishop, did endorse and express support for same-sex civil unions. On 23 May 2015, the people of Republic of Ireland voted in favour of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, the first country to do such by popular vote. In 2016, the Church of Ireland released a pastoral letter offering guidelines on same-gender marriage. Although the Church of Ireland does not currently offer marriage or blessing rites, the guidelines allow priests to offer pastoral prayers on behalf of the newly married couples. Services of Thanksgiving for same-sex marriage have been hosted by congregations; for example, St. Audoen's Church hosted "a service of thanksgiving" for same-sex marriage. REFORM Ireland, a conservative lobby within the Church of Ireland, has rejected the contents of the letter saying it is "a dangerous departure from confessing Anglicanism".