The Irish have chosen secularism over faith and have not just abandoned Catholicism but religion altogether

At this time of writing, I don't think that I've written a piece that has attracted so much debate.  On this sparklingly clear morning in West London,  there are now nearly 900 comments left on The Catholic Herald article that I wrote on Catholic Ireland becoming the post-religious country where same sex marriage has been enshrined in law by the will of the majority of the people. 

Other journalists have been busy analysing why 'Ireland said yes to gay marriage and no to Catholicism', which was the title for Tim Stanley's article that admirably captures the mood of post-Catholic Ireland.  I would go deeper still and say that Ireland said 'no' to Christian tradition.  A point that scarcely gets made is that when tens of thousands of Irish stopped practising as Catholics, they did not en masse turn to any other Christian denomination, or even ad hoc Christian worship, and the influence of the Gospels waned in Irish life. The passing of gay marriage into Irish law shows that the power and influence that once was wielded by the Church, is now wielded by the forces of secularism. 

Yes supporters celebrate outside Dublin Castle, May 2015