Vatican City, May 28 (IANS): Last weekend's referendum vote in Ireland to approve same-sex marriage was "a defeat for humanity," the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said.

"The Irish referendum is a defeat for humanity. I was deeply saddened by the result," he said on Wednesday in comments to Italian media, reports Efe.

"The archbishop of Dublin (Diarmuid Martin) has said that church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation," Parolin said.

"I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles," but also "a defeat for humanity," Parolin said at an award ceremony.

The Republic of Ireland, where until recently the Catholic Church wielded enormous power, became on Saturday the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.

Just over 62 percent of those who cast ballots in the referendum voted "yes."