Posted on 04/03/2014 6:29:14 AM PDT by marshmallow
The motion was passed by 30 votes to zero, with unionists abstaining
Councillors in Belfast have voted in favour of inviting the Pope to the city.
The proposal was backed by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance, but unionists councillors abstained.
Earlier this year, the Irish senate unanimously voted to invite Pope Francis for an official visit.
Pope Francis is due to meet the Queen on Thursday, and unionists argued it would be appropriate for her and the government to issue such an invitation.
DUP councillor Lee Reynolds said the motion presented by the SDLP "was essentially an election stunt and it wasn't a game we were willing to play".
"They were wanting an insult and we weren't going to give them that, so we chose the path of abstention," he said.
Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers, who had previously spoken out against issuing an invitation to the Pope, said he had decided to abstain after "giving the issue a lot of thought".
"I am concerned at the likelihood of trouble on our streets ... and I don't want any religious or civic leader coming here to find themselves offended and see violence on a large scale," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
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