Campaigners call on Church to explain McGregor wedding

The Zero Tolerance Midlands Campaign Committee has written to the Bishop of Meath, Bishop Tom Deenihan, to express disappointment and profound concern at the decision of the Catholic Church to permit Conor McGregor to marry within one of its most prestigious and symbolically significant buildings.

The committee, Hazel Behan, Bairbre Kelly, Damien Rooney, Brogan Gallagher, Ty Layberry-Ling, Christine O’Mahony and Frankie Dalton, say the decision has caused considerable distress, particularly to victims and survivors of gender-based violence.

In a statement, they said it is widely perceived as an insult to those victims and as a troubling contradiction of the Catholic Church’s stated commitment to justice, compassion, and the protection of the vulnerable.

In its letter, the committee note that Mr McGregor was found liable in a civil court for sexual violence against a woman, and that he has never publicly apologised, accepted responsibility, or demonstrated remorse for the harm caused. Against that background, the willingness of the Church to grant access to such a revered sacred space raises serious and unavoidable questions.

“The Catholic Church has, in recent decades, acknowledged its failures in responding to abuse and has repeatedly committed itself to standing with victims, listening to their voices, and upholding the dignity of women,” the committee said. “Against that backdrop, this decision appears profoundly inconsistent with those commitments. It risks signalling that status, wealth, or celebrity can outweigh accountability, repentance, and moral integrity.”

The committee said the sacrament of marriage, particularly when conducted in one of the Church’s most esteemed buildings, is not merely a private celebration but a public act laden with symbolic meaning. Many will understandably interpret the decision as an endorsement, or at least a disregard for the gravity of Mr McGregor’s actions and their impact on his victim.

The Zero Tolerance Midlands Campaign Committee has respectfully called on the Catholic Church to publicly explain how the decision aligns with its teachings on justice, repentance, and the protection of those who have suffered violence. The committee said silence on the matter only deepens the hurt felt by victims and survivors and further erodes trust in the Church’s moral leadership.

“The Catholic Church has an opportunity, and indeed a responsibility, to demonstrate that it stands unequivocally with victims of gender-based violence,” the committee said. “This must be shown not merely in words, but in actions that reflect its professed values.”