Describing prayer as the wellspring of all Christian life, Bishop Kelly said this was the example Jesus showed and priests' whole being and every utterance must be founded on prayer.

"Getting it wrong will almost inevitably further destabilise the family and society; it will pose major problems for legislation," - Bishop MacDaid.

“Truly this is a rather special moment in history when the successor of St Peter humbly invites all the baptised to assist in finding solutions to pastoral problems."