Presbyterian Church in Ireland a variety of social issues within and outside the denomination. In May 2006, the church's press officer announced that ministers could bless same-gender civil partnerships. However, in June 2006, the General Assembly (GA) voted to ban its ministers from blessing same-gender relationships reversing the previous announcement. In 2015, the church voiced its opposition to the legalisation of gay marriage. On women's issues, the church ordains women as ministers. On life issues, the denomination opposes abortion except for when the woman's life is in danger. Presbyterian Church in Ireland The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI; , Ulster-Scots: "Prisbytairin Kirk in Airlann")
Contraception in the Republic of Ireland Contraception in the Republic of Ireland Contraception was illegal in Ireland from 1935 until 1980, when it was legalised with strong restrictions, later loosened. The ban reflected Catholic teachings on sexual morality. The encyclical "Casti connubii" (1930) followed the industrial production and widespread use of condoms that usually prevent fertilisation. It specified: Following the marketing of "the pill" in the 1960s, a Pontifical Commission on Birth Control was set up. It has often been cited that there was a majority in favour of contraception, and that is implied in the wording of the papal encyclical.. The encyclical "Humanae vitae" (1968)