We have just blessed the Easter fire and lit the paschal candle.  They symbolise the light of the Risen Christ breaking into the world to scatter the darkness of sin and death. During the blessing, five grains of incense, in honour of the five wounds of Christ, were placed into the candle in the form of a cross.  Then I prayed: “By his holy and glorious wounds, may Christ our Lord guard us and keep us. Amen.”

On this holy night we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  We recall his victory over the powers of evil that had long held humankind captive. We rejoice in the freedom that Christ has won for us. We look to the future with hope. As the great Easter hymn, the Exsultet, proclaims: “The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.”

St Paul echoes this Easter joy in tonight’s epistle reading. There he proclaims that Christ, having been raised from the dead, can never die again. Death has no power over him any more. If this is so, if we can rejoice that Christ is truly victorious, why do we focus so much on his wounds that we even mark them on the Paschal candle as a permanent reminder?

We do so because Christ did not simply rise from the dead: he rose with his wounds. On the evening of that first Easter Sunday, he appeared to his disciples and showed them his wounded hands and side.

We might well ask: if God the Father could raise Jesus from death, why could he not do the relatively simple job of healing the wounds of his Passion? The wounds of Christ remain on his glorified body as a simple but powerful reminder that although the sins of the past can be overcome and atoned for, they cannot be wiped from the page of history.

God takes sin and its consequences seriously. He does not pretend that evil never happened or that it doesn’t really matter. Too often, those who have been hurt by others are casually told to ‘forgive and forget’, or ‘to let bygones be bygones’. The physical resurrection of Jesus teaches that we cannot choose to simply forget the past, skip by it, pretend that it never happened. We must fully face the truth of what occurred in the past. We should not try to flee the consequences of those offences, which can continue to mar the lives of those who suffered because of them.

The lives of survivors of child sexual abuse, the faith of members of the Church, and the credibility of Church leadership, have all been wounded grievously by the evil deeds of priests and religious who exploited their position to wreak havoc on the lives of helpless children. Those wounds were aggravated by serious mismanagement on the part of bishops and other leaders in the Church. Those wounds, like the wounds on the body of the risen Christ, will not go away. We must take them seriously. We can only move on into the future if we first own our own personal misdeeds.  We have to recognise the harm they have done and be resolved to do whatever is necessary to atone for the crimes that have happened and prevent their reoccurrence.

Once again, I apologise with all my heart to all survivors of clerical child sexual abuse. Yesterday, at the Good Friday ceremonies in Dundalk I pledged that proper reparation would be made for the harm that has been caused and I renew that pledge tonight.

This week I met with individual survivors of abuse and with representatives of survivors’ groups. Having listened to their accounts of the terrible hurt they have endured, I am resolved to continue to keep the safeguarding of children central to the Mission of the Catholic Church in Ireland. We all have a critical part to play in safeguarding children.

I am convinced that by committing ourselves fully to the challenges of reform, healing and renewal, the wounds of the past, like those of the risen Jesus, have the greatest chance of being transformed. By destroying all arrogance, pride and corruption in the Church, by becoming the humble, just and caring community of disciples that Christ intended us to be, we may look back at this historic moment and see in it God’s life-giving and transforming grace.

But, if we are to engage in the work of reform successfully we must first undertake an honest and incisive investigation of the causes of the scandals of the past.

The Holy Father has suggested various contributing factors to this crisis, such as:

•    A misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal that led to a failure to bring offenders to justice.
•    A tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures, and;
•    Inadequate procedures for determining the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and the religious life, as well as;
•    Insufficient formation in seminaries and novitiates.

We have to reflect deeply on these dimensions of the current crisis and act on them with determination. The voice of catholic lay-people needs to be heard on these and other aspects of this crucial matter.  

Pope Benedict referred to a tendency in Irish society to favour the clergy and other leadership figures above the laity.  He calls it one of the elements that gave rise to the present crisis.  To remedy the situation, the lay-faithful need to be supported in becoming more aware of their equal dignity in the Church by virtue of their Baptism.  

While the ordained priesthood has a specific character and role, Baptism makes us all sharers in the office of Christ, priest, prophet and pastor.  All baptised people are called to be co-responsible for the well being of the Church.  Co-responsibility requires that lay-people be equipped to live out their baptismal calling and commitments and to be aware of their rights and duties in the life of the Church.

Therefore, to build up knowledge and a sense of self-worth among the faithful people of God, in whatever way I can, I will continue to promote improved programmes of religious instruction for our schools and better faith formation for adults in our Diocese.  Together we can rebuild Christ’s Church and make this a time of new beginning, of true resurrection for us all.

Finally, the Pope refers to a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal.  The result was failure to follow proper procedures and, until more recent times, to bring abusers to justice in the civil courts. I realise that, however unintentionally, however unknowingly, I too allowed myself to be influenced by that culture in our Church, and our society.  I pledge to you this evening that, from now on, my overriding concern will always be the safety and protection of everyone in the Church – but especially children and all those who are vulnerable.  We have already committed substantial resources to devising and implementing world-class safeguarding policies. Some of you may have lingering concerns that nothing has changed in the Church.  I promise you, it has changed radically.  There is now no hiding place for abusers in the Church.  Our policy is to do whatever is necessary to protect the vulnerable and ensure justice for all.

I also welcome the Apostolic Visitation announced by the Holy Father in his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland. It will play a vital part in the process of rebuilding and renewal. I pledge to co-operate fully with it and to implement all its recommendations. It is my intention to propose to the Holy See that the Diocese of Armagh would be one of those Dioceses which will be visited as part of the Apostolic Visitation announced by Pope Benedict.

I also welcome the proposal of a nation-wide mission to be held for all bishops, priest and religious in Ireland.  May it help us to draw nearer to Christ, crucified and Risen. I am well aware of the feelings of the priests and religious as a result of all that has happened.  I hope that despite everything, they will experience the joy of Easter in the sure knowledge that Christ is truly risen.

In the process of renewal, healing and reform that lie ahead, we must take the person of Jesus Christ as the role model we should follow.  In this way we arrive at a vision of the virtuous life – the sort of life we ought to live if we are to fulfil the goal of our vocation.  

We take heart from St. Peter in tonight’s Gospel – he believes the women, acts on what they say, and goes to see the empty tomb for himself.  After his denial of Jesus three times, he surely had the deepest sense of shame at his past failings.  Yet he knew that Jesus had given him a big responsibility when he said to him – “But I have prayed for you Simon that your faith will not fail.  And when you turn back to me you must strengthen your brothers”.  

Peter was determined to fulfil his responsibilities.  I realise that I have many past failures and inadequacies – for which I am sorry and apologise.  I realise that I also have been given a great responsibility to God and to you, for leadership and renewal in the Church.  I take that responsibility very seriously, a responsibility which, with the help of God, I hope to fulfil at all times to the best of my ability.  I am immensely grateful for the support of your prayers at this time as I implore God’s grace and wisdom for the work that lies ahead.

By the grace of the words of the Risen and glorified Lord, may the Church in Ireland be truly transformed; may our past scars lead us to a more humble service of the One who gave his life in service of us all.  May we never forget our past but learn from it, learn, in particular, from its most painful lessons.  

The Risen Christ broke through the dark dungeon of evil and death.  Tonight he calls us to arise with him – for the first sign of dawn is at hand.  With St. Paul we say – ‘Awake O sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will give you light’.  

AMEN

This week I have spent a lot of time listening to survivors of sexual abuse tell their stories.  They spoke of what they have suffered at the hands of clergy and religious.  

I am very grateful to them for sharing their experience with me. I realise that this was not easy for them.  I think that this listening will have to continue.  I believe that there are many others who want to tell their story and they have a right to be heard also.  It is all part of acknowledging the sinful and criminal acts which have taken place and which must be addressed.  

We also have to consider seriously the way the Church authorities dealt with what happened.  Yesterday at the Chrism Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, in the presence of the priests and people, I accepted that we bishops failed, sometimes grievously, in our response to the crime of child abuse.  I said I was sorry that this had happened and how this sorrow must move us to find ways to repair the damage that has been done and to right the wrong that they endured.  

We have heard calls for material help and for spiritual help.  Those calls must be considered and responded to properly.  That process of making reparation for the past must continue.  Part of it will mean a deepening concern for all the members of the Church – especially survivors of abuse – as Pope Benedict asks us in his Pastoral Letter.

The Holy Father also asks us to confess the serious sins committed against defenceless children.  He asks us to express our sincere sorrow for the damage caused to those victims and their families.  

This I do today, once again, in the hope that it will help to repair the damage that has been done.  Yet, much more needs to be done.  The Church in Ireland needs to continue to identify what exactly is required to make reparation for the past and to build solid foundations for true renewal in the future.  

We are doing all of this in the light of what we are celebrating these days – the suffering of Christ.  Like the survivors, Jesus Christ was the victim of injustice and sin.  Like all victims, Jesus Christ still bears the wounds of his own unjust suffering.  Jesus Christ understands the depths of the pain of victims.  All of us must try to understand that pain also.  Jesus understands the enduring effect of abuse on the lives and relationships of so many victims.  We must all learn to understand that effect.

In his words to victims of abuse and their families – Pope Benedict writes:

“Christ’s own wounds, transformed by his redemptive sufferings, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope”.  “I believe” Pope Benedict adds – “deeply in the healing power of his self-sacrificing love to bring liberation and the promise of a new beginning”.   

The self-sacrificing love of Jesus Christ is our only hope.  Christ’s own wounds have the power to set us free from the power of evil.  They get that power from the suffering which Jesus Christ endured in his passion and death.  By his bruises we are healed.  By his wounds we are reborn to new life and new hope.

The Pope appeals to victims to draw nearer to Christ.  He prays that by God’s grace, the wounds afflicting so many individuals and families may be healed.  

In his recent Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland Pope Benedict strongly advises all of us to reflect on the wounds inflicted on Christ’s body by the abuse and the sometimes painful remedies needed to bind and heal them.

He recommends five concrete initiatives:

1.    A time of prayer to implore an outpouring of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in Ireland – perseverance and prayer are needed with great trust in the healing power of God graces.
2.    Friday penances for one year, between now and Easter 2011, to make reparation.  
3.    Fasting – Reading of Scriptures and works of mercy.  
4.    A rediscovery of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
5.    Adoration of Jesus – present in the Blessed Sacrament.

In fact, we must all try to draw nearer to Christ.  He feels how weak we are when faced with temptation and that we often give in.  He himself has been tempted in every way that we are.  We have every right to be confident as we approach Jesus.  

Think of what he said to those who put him to death:
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do”
He wasn’t thinking of himself despite it all.  Think of the good thief and what Jesus gave in answer to his frantic plea:
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”
And Jesus said:  
“Indeed I promise you, today you will be with me in Paradise”.

What a promise to hear on the day of our death – a promise from Jesus – who always keeps his promises.

All eyes in the synagogue were fixed on Jesus.  Then he began to speak to them:

“This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen”

St Luke tells us that they were all well impressed with him and marvelled at the eloquent words that he spoke.  Perhaps some were even relieved and pleased, at the brevity of what must be one of the shortest sermons in history.  

In the Preface of this Mass we are reminded that we honour God by our courageous witness of faith and love.  Today the Church challenges all of us to believe, courageously and lovingly, that this text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen.  

This passage of Scripture has come true today as you heard it being read today.  Through your words and mine, the Good News is being brought to the poor.  Through your celebration of the sacrament of Penance those oppressed with the shame and guilt of sin, are being set free.
But, to have the courage to honour God by our witness of faith and love is not always easy.  I myself have found great strength in the Preface of today’s Mass.  I read again, with great joy, the words:

“Christ gives the dignity of a Royal Priesthood to the people he has made his own”.

Father Enda McDonagh has written recently that ‘it is only by setting the ordained priesthood in the context of the broader priesthood of the faithful that the Church can seriously confront its current problems’.  

In other words, the Church is the People of God.  It is the community of baptized believers.  The royal priesthood of baptism is the setting in which the priesthood of ordination must be understood and exercised.

•    We – priests and bishops – come from a priestly people.  
•    We – priests and bishops – belong within a priestly people.
•    We are called to serve a priestly people after the example set by the foot-washer, Jesus Christ.
•    We – priests and people – receive great encouragement from a priestly people.

So, we must honour the priority of the sacrament of Baptism – as the root of all Christian existence.  This honouring of the priority of Baptism will have consequences in many ways such as: clustering of parishes and pastoral councils.  It could ensure that all of us, together – both baptised and ordained – assume our proper responsibilities within the Church.  It could affect our attitude towards ecclesial movements, for example.  

The Preface goes on to remind us that we have been chosen.  The prophet Isaiah had foretold how the Spirit of the Lord would be upon Jesus – “because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor”.  Brothers, let us continue to courageously believe – that we have, indeed, been chosen.  

Chosen to do what?

To lead God’s people in love.  We have been chosen to be leaders and, if we have been chosen to do a certain job, we will be given the strength to do it.  Let us have no doubt about that.  God is faithful.  The Holy Spirit has come upon us.  Also, we have been chosen to nourish God’s Holy people by the Word, hence the importance of our preaching and our study and our on-going formation.

I was reading some of St Oliver Plunkett’s letters recently.  I was surprised to find the emphasis he placed on preaching – good preaching – It does not happen by chance.  It takes prayer and preparation – lots of prayer and lots of preparation.
Finally we have been chosen, appointed and are called – to strengthen God’s royal priestly people through the sacraments. Today God’s royal priestly people – clergy and laity alike – have great need to be strengthened – to face the temptations of the Evil One.  We believe they can be strengthened immensely by our ministry – by our ministry of the sacrament of Reconciliation for example.  I hope we ourselves will set the example by ourselves during these days going to Confession ourselves.

Of course, we can sometimes find that we know exactly what we should be doing and still not be able to do it.  Today’s Mass suggests to us that we try to grow more like Christ.

One of the promises contained in the Renewal of Commitment to Priestly Service tells us that we can grow more like Christ – by uniting ourselves more closely to him.  It calls us to joyfully sacrifice our own pleasure and ambitions in order to bring the peace and love of Christ to others.

The Pastoral Letter of Pope Benedict calls us bishops to self-examination, inner purification and spiritual renewal.  Pope Benedict exhorts us to renew our sense of accountability before God, to be holy, to live simply and to pursue personal conversion daily.  He asks us to grow in solidarity with our people and to deepen our pastoral concern for all the faithful.

In particular he asks us to be attentive to the spiritual and moral lives of our priests.  He goes on:  ‘Set them an example by your own lives – be close to them, listen to their concerns, offer them encouragement.  Stir up the flame of their love for Christ and their commitment to the service of their brothers and sister’.  This is what I want to do but I want your help to do it.  With your help, I believe we can do it.

The Holy Father reminds us of our failure and of our mistakes.  We accept that we have made grave errors of judgment and that failures of leaderships have occurred.  He urges us to remedy past mistakes and to guarantee that they do not happen again.  

Pope Benedict asks all of us to encourage the lay faithful to play their proper part in the life of the Church.  Has asks us to see that the lay faithful are formed in such a way that they can offer a convincing account of the Gospel.  For this, in turn, the Pope says, ‘will help us, once again, become credible leaders and witnesses to the redeeming truth of Christ’.  

Today I thank God for all those involved in taking or delivering the various formation courses throughout the diocese.  I ask that they continue and be expanded, where possible, so that they can help us again become credible leaders and witnesses to the redeeming truth of Christ.

The Pope proposes concrete initiatives:

•    Persevering and constant prayer for an outpouring of God’s mercy and the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in Ireland.
•    Friday penances for a period of one year between now and Easter 2011.
•    Reading of Scripture and works of mercy to obtain healing and renewal of the Church in Ireland
•    A rediscovery of the Sacrament of Confession
•    Eucharistic Adoration.

It is a great programme -a challenging programme but also a potentially daunting programme.  However, I find great inspiration in the prayer – which will come at the end of the Renewal of Commitment in a few moments.

“Pray also for me – that despite my own unworthiness – I may faithfully fulfil the office of Apostle which Jesus Christ has entrusted to me.  
Pray that I may become more like the High Priest and Good Shepherd, the teacher and Servant of all and so be a genuine sign of Christ’s loving presence among you”

So I see that the great task is for all of us to unite ourselves more closely with Christ.  We are to get to know Him more intimately.  If we do that then we become more like Him and so we become a genuine sign and instrument of His loving presence in the world.  
I think that this is all closely linked to the Diocesan Aim

That of being ever more fully the Body of Christ
So that we may live like Christ.

The great Mission of Christ was to bring the forgiveness and healing love of the Father to a broken and sinful world.  That message of forgiveness was the beginning – of his ministry – “Repent for the Kingdom of God is near”.  It was also the end.  “Father forgive them for they know not what the do and then he breathed his last.

May we all experience his mercy and forgiveness this Easter.

Introduction

I welcome you all to this Mass of Chrism.  Every Holy Thursday – we thank God for four great gifts: –

•    The gift of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, given to us in Holy Communion under the appearance of Bread and Wine;

•    The gift of the Priesthood – we had Mother’s Day recently – and we will have Father’s Day – but this is the Feast Day of the Priests;

•    The third gift is the gift of the washing by Jesus of the feet of his Disciples at the Last Supper.  It is the gift of Example – a powerful example for all of us to follow;

•    Finally we have the gift of the great New Commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

So I welcome in a special way Bishop Clifford and the priests, who have come to give thanks and I personally want to thank God for a fifth gift today – the gift of the love and understanding, the gift of the prayer and petition, the gift of help and support of the priests and people of this Archdiocese in recent days and weeks.

I also welcome here today all who have come to celebrate the Blessing of the Sacred Oils.  I welcome especially girls and boys who are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this year.  Today the priests of this diocese will carry these sacred oils to the four corners of the diocese, and then to the four corners of their parishes – to Baptisms and Confirmations, to anoint the Sick and the Dying.

As they do so they will explain that these Holy Oils are at once signs and means of the Coming of God’s Love into the lives of those to be anointed.  We remember Cardinal Daly who for the past twenty years attended this ceremony.

To prepare ourselves to do all of this Sacred Work – let us plead for God’s mercy and forgiveness – well aware that we have sinned and are in great need of pardon and peace.