Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said Tuesday that last weekend's referendum in which Irish people voted to legalise gay marriage was a "defeat for humanity". "I was deeply saddened by this result," Cardinal Parolin said. "The Church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelization.
"I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity. "The family remains at the centre and we have to do everything to defend it and promote it.
"Hitting it would be like taking the foundations away from the building of the future". Catholic doctrine considers homosexual acts to be sinful and the Church is against moves to equate gay unions with traditional marriages between men and women.
Pope Francis, however, famously said in 2013 "who am I to judge?" gay people of good will who are seeking God.
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