CORK CITY, Ireland, May 14, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – An Irish priest is using social media to beg the world to pray that Ireland votes to keep the pro-life 8th amendment in the upcoming referendum, choosing the right to life for the unborn.

Father Marius O’Reilly released a Youtube video explaining that the Irish referendum on May 25th could overturn an amendment to the Irish Constitution that ensures the equal right-to-life for mothers and children.

O’Reilly recalls that when Saint Pope John II came to Ireland in 1979, he told the Irish people that they must protect life.

“He knew what was coming down the road,” the priest says in his message. “And so the Irish people took this very seriously and rosary crusades began all around the country.”

Pro-life campaigners asked the government for a referendum to add a clause to the Irish constitution ensuring the right-to-life of the unborn. On September 7, 1983, Ireland voted to add the measure, now known as the Eighth Amendment.

“This was an incredible gift from God for our country because it meant the politicians couldn’t just bring in abortion when they wanted,” says O’Reilly. “They would have to put it to the people.”

But now this has a bitter tinge, for voting directly for abortion would make the Irish the first people to decide, en masse, to legalize abortion..

However, foreign countries and organizations have made a strong push to ensure that the Irish vote to bring abortion. O’Reilly says that “billions and billions” have been “pumped” into ireland and that the UN, the European Union and various other international bodies all want abortion to be brought into Ireland. He notes, too, that the Irish media and a majority have been “pushing abortion” and a majority of Irish politicians support its legalization.

In the face of such domestic and foreign pressure, O’Reilly is thus asking people around the world to pray the rosary for Ireland and to have masses said for Ireland. He hopes that God Himself will “have mercy” on Ireland by not allowing the Eighth Amendment to be abolished.

On Sunday Archbishop Martin prayed with Catholics at eight different locations in Ireland via satellite link from Lourdes for the preservation of the Eighth Amendment.