Politician criticises political church gate collections

A Laois based Labour Senator has insisted church gates are no place for political collections.

According to Senator John Whelan, the practice “is not only inappropriate but it is also coercive on a captive audience of church goers, who may not wish to disclose or display their political affiliations.”

Mr Whelan said “just as the secrecy of the confessional and the ballot box are sacrosanct, Sunday worshippers should be allowed to go about their business without running the political gauntlet at the church gates.”

He also stated that local deserving charities, sporting organisations and voluntary and community groups should not have to vie with political parties over the limited weekend collection space. “I was one of the most outspoken advocates in favour of a Charities Regulator to tidy up and bring much needed transparency and accountability to that sector. However, such groups should not now be expected to compete with political parties for scarce resources,” Mr Whelan remarked.

“Ireland is in a unique place it seems to me with this practice of church gate collections, where peoples political affiliations can be denoted by their donation or otherwise. Furthermore, it seems bizarre that the practice of such collections only occurs outside Roman Catholic churches and not any other denominations,” he said.

Mr Whelan pointed out that “there is one further glaring hypocrisy to the issue in that we pride ourselves on separation of Church and State, and so many political leaders prize and champion such a distinction and rightly so. It therefore follows that the church grounds and the church gate should be the preside of the church and the community and is no fit place for political collections.”

“I fully agree in this regard with the Bishop of the Diocese of Elphin Kevin Doran, that all political parties should stay away from the church gate for the purpose of fundraising. The Church can continue its work of saving souls, and politicians the job of saving the country,” Mr Whelan added.