The Vatican's secretary of state has described the Irish vote to legalize same-sex marriage as "a defeat for humanity."
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday evening, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said he was saddened by the landslide decision, in which more than 62% of voters in the Roman Catholic country voted 'yes' to marriage equality.
Parolin referred to remarks by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, who said that results showed the church needed to do a "reality check." Parolin said the church needs to acknowledge the reality but reinforce its "commitment to evangelization."
"I don't think you can speak only about a defeat for Christian principles but a defeat for humanity," he said.
In the Catholic church, Parolin is seen as second only to the Pope. But his comments reflect a different attitude to that famously expressed by Pope Francis two years ago.
When asked if there was a "gay lobby" in the Vatican Pope Francis replied: "If a person is gay and seeks God, and has good will, who am I to judge?" His comments has been interpreted as suggesting a shifting perspective within the church.
Same-sex marriage could be possible in the Ireland as soon as July, after the country's Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said lawmakers were working on a bill to be passed before the summer recess.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.