The resounding success of the marriage equality referendum in Ireland has put the Roman Catholic church in a difficult position:  Trying to balance the traditional teachings of the church and its opposition to gay marriage, while acknowledging that much of the developed world is scraping off homophobia.

This week, the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been forced to distance himself from the harsh words of some Cardinals, the powerful “princes of the church”.

“It’s just incredible,” lamented US Cardinal Raymond Burke, “Pagans may have tolerated homosexual behaviors, they never dared say this was marriage.”  Ouch!  Well, it’s that kind of language and his unfortunate addiction to medieval haute couture that has Burke on the outs with Pope Francis.

“I wouldn’t use that language,” said the Primate of the emerald isle Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland.  “Throughout the debate and the discussion, we did ask people to try to be respectful and inoffensive in language.”

Pope Francis hasn’t actually commented on the marriage equality referendum that Irish voters approved by a 62 percent to 38 percent margin.  But the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said, “I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.”

Seriously, Pete?  Humanity?  Dramatic much?

“One of the difficulties in the debate was that we had two parallel debates going on,” said Martin on Ireland’s RTE Radio, again manning the shovels to dig his way out of the intolerant words of his coworkers thousands of miles away.  “One was about the meaning of marriage, and the other was about respecting gay people and showing tolerance.”