(LifeSiteNews) — Irish Bishop Martin Hayes was confronted by the family of teacher Enoch Burke for remaining silent over Burke’s imprisonment due to his refusal to bow to transgender ideology.
Approached by Burke’s family members at a gas station, Hayes said he had “nothing to say” about the Irish teacher’s imprisonment. The video of the encounter between Hayes and Burke’s brother and mother was posted on Enoch Burke’s X account.
BREAKING: BISHOP “CONCERNED FOR PRISONERS’ RIGHTS” BUT SILENT ON ENOCH BURKE (500 DAYS IN PRISON)
When asked about the ongoing incarceration of teacher Enoch Burke after he would not endorse transgender ideology, Bishop Martin Hayes said, “I have nothing to say.”
Bishop Martin… pic.twitter.com/bfKB97Vqzw
— Enoch Burke (@EnochBurke) December 11, 2024
Hayes is the bishop of the Diocese of Kilmore and the liaison bishop to the Irish Prison Service. On November 27, Hayes issued a statement, widely reported by the media, expressing his “alarm” over the repurposing of the prison chapel in Mountjoy Prison. Parts of the space where the prison chapel is located are reportedly being turned into a room for court appearances via video link due to “record numbers of prisoners.” This caused a temporary closure of the chapel that will likely be extended until after Christmas.
“I can only conclude that, arising from the approach taken and speed of action, that prisoners’ rights in Mountjoy – in terms of their freedom of religious expression – have been suppressed by authorities,” Hayes said.
However, Burke’s family members pointed out that Hayes failed to mention Enoch Burke, who is currently incarcerated in Mountjoy Prison Chapel for refusing to call a gender-confused male student by his “preferred pronouns.”
In the video posted on X, Enoch Burke’s mother asks Hayes if he believes the parents in Ireland want their children to learn that they can change their gender. The bishop remained silent and refused to answer the question.
Hayes said he does not appreciate being “doorstepped,” adding, “That is not the right way to engage with anyone,” and refused to answer any question regarding his failure to comment on Enoch Burke, who has been imprisoned for over 500 days.
In an X post, the Burke family wrote, “It makes little sense that a man who claims to be the ‘successor of the Apostles’ (men who laid down their lives for the truth) has nothing to say on the imprisonment of a teacher for upholding the most basic Christian belief as expressed by Christ in the Gospels – ‘He which made them in the beginning, made them male and female’ (Matthew 19:4).”
Enoch Burke’s fight against gender ideology
Burke’s now internationally known case began in summer 2022. A teacher of German, history, and politics at a Church of Ireland school, he refused to address a male student – reportedly in the process of “transitioning” – as a girl and also refused to use the pronoun “they.”
Defying a school principal’s order to use the transgender pronoun, Burke was then placed on paid administrative leave on August 22, 2022, while the school board held a disciplinary process. After Burke ignored this and continued to attend the school, he was then handed an interim order on August 30 to prevent him from entering the school that he also ignored.
School authorities summoned the police and Burke was arrested for contempt of court on September 5, 2022, while sitting in an empty classroom in the school. He was sentenced to jail for an unspecified period of time until he either purged his contempt of court or until the court decreed otherwise.
“Transgenderism is against my Christian belief. It is contrary to the scriptures, contrary to the ethos of the Church of Ireland and of my school,” the teacher said in his 2022 sentencing. “I love my school, with its motto Res Non Verba, actions not words, but I am here today because I said I would not call a boy a girl.”
Days before Christmas 2022, he was released by the High Court after the judge argued that Burke was using his imprisonment for his own ends.
At the time of his 2022 release, Burke was warned he would be fined €700 a day if he refused to obey the court injunction barring him from the school.
In January 2023, the school dismissed Burke from his employment.
After Burke continued to appear at the school, he was jailed last September, once again with the official reason being his refusal to abide by the court order not to appear at the school.
On June 28 this year, he was released from jail at the start of the summer term holidays. His release was not a pardon or a removal of the court order, with the judge warning Burke he would return to prison if he broke the court order – namely, if he returned to the school.
READ: Irish teacher released after 400+ days in jail over refusal to use transgender pronouns
On September 2, Enoch Burke was arrested again after returning to Wilson’s Hospital school reportedly every day since the start of term on August 22.
Though his arrest and imprisonment are technically due to his non-compliance with the court order to avoid Wilson’s Hospital school, the case has been highlighted as ultimately based around the growing dominance of transgender ideology in society.
Burke’s latest arrest has brought even more international attention to his case and to transgenderism in general, with even noted Canadian Dr. Jordan Peterson highlighting the arrest footage that has now gone viral online.
Some have argued that Burke’s jail term is due to his own continued refusal to accept his firing by the school and that he could walk free if he only agreed to not present himself at the school.
Burke is from a family of Evangelical Christians, who are well known in the public domain and the courts for their vocal stance in defense of Christian values in Irish society.
READ: Police arrest Irish teacher who refuses to give up on his job or give in to ‘trans’ agenda