2000 CONFERENCE OF
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PRIESTS OF IRELAND
ADDRESS BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY
SEPTEMBER 25, 2000

First of all I want to thank Father Jim and the Executive Committee for the invitation to come here tonight. I am pleased to accept that invitation and to be with you. I wish you a very fruitful discussion of the important topics which you have chosen.

I remember well being a delegate to the NCPI from the diocese of Kilmore. I am trying to recall my feelings as I set off to the Annual Conference. I am sure there would have been a certain amount of questioning, wondering was it worthwhile, was it worth the effort? For to be quite honest, as a delegate, I often wished for more interest among the priests of the diocese in what went on in the National Conference of Priests of Ireland.

Of course those were the days when NCPI was confined to diocesan priests. Now it has been enriched by the welcome presence of representatives of religious and missionary priests of this country. I think it is good that priests come together to discuss how to promote their ministry in all its aspects. For it is a challenging time to be in ministry, an exciting time, but also a difficult time. That’s why I think it’s very important to come together to discuss current issues in the country and the Irish Church. It is vital that we have maximum communication, communion and solidarity if we are to successfully address the problems that confront us in Ireland today.

Yes, ministry today is taking place in a changed Ireland and in a changed Europe. The Synod on Europe last autumn discussed the crisis of faith in Europe. It came to the conclusion that the crisis is not just one of faith, but a crisis of culture and of life.

Last week I visited Expo 2000 in Hanover in Northern Germany. I found it a fascinating experience. One hundred and sixty national pavilions took us on a mini world cruise of the five continents. I thought one of the most interesting pavilions was that of the Czech Republic. It featured seven statues of the Madonna and child and seven drawings of modern women. In the drawings the hands were in the same position of those of the Madonna, with one significant difference, there was not a child in sight, and not one word of commentary was offered. It was, in my opinion, an eloquent testimony from one of the most atheistic countries in Europe to the crisis which faces much of Europe, crisis not only of faith but also of culture and of life. The fact is that modern Europe has a problem passing on faith and culture, but not alone that, it has a problem passing on the gift of life.

One of the key elements in the winning of a relay race is passing the baton securely, swiftly, from one runner to another. We get the impression that in this generation, the baton is in danger of being dropped.
We ask ourselves; is it through some fault of mine or yours that this is happening? We come here with fears in the backs of our minds that the scandals are going to do irreparable damage to the Church. We are afraid that the message, as we bring it, seems irrelevant. There are fears that there will be nobody to take our place. Yet, despite all those fears, you have come here tonight. You have taken the decision to come in great numbers and I salute you for that. Let us hope that at the end of this Conference, you will have received some message that will bring you hope and lift morale. Hopefully, you will say to yourself, ‘Ah, those days at the NCPI were not a waste of time after all’.

I mention all of this, not that we might be plunged into panic or discouragement but rather, I hope, to encourage a calm objective assessment of the situation. My hope is that after your discussions on collaborative ministry, you will all go back to your desks and to your parishes with a lilt in your voice and a bounce in your step, eager to put your hand to the plough once more. I am confident that it can happen. There is a wealth of experience in this room on those very topics. You represent hundreds of priests who have invested immense effort and the best years of their lives on these very tasks. I would like to think that priests will go away from this Conference more hopeful than they came.

The Synod on Europe last year, had as its theme, Jesus Christ, Alive in His Church, Sign of Hope for Europe. The Synod decided that the first sign of hope in the Church is ‘holiness’. As a sign of hope and example of holiness for the priests of Ireland, I put before you, Blessed Joseph Columba Marmion. A lot of us can identify with him in one way or another. He was Irish – born in Dublin – a North-sider. He was a student of Belvedere College, a layman for approximately one third of his life. After studies at Clonliffe and at the Irish College, Rome, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Dublin. After serving in the Parish of Dundrum in the City and teaching in Clonliffe, he joined the Benedictine Order. He was a Religious with a missionary vocation which took him to live outside his native country, a European living in different European capitals and countries long before the Treaty of Rome or the Commissions in Brussels. Blessed Columba Marmion was first and foremost one of Christ’s faithful. Through his writing and preaching of the Word of God, people came to know in a new light their dignity as children of God. They came to see and live all things in union with Christ. The challenge for all of us is to go and do likewise.

Thirty-five years ago the Vatican Council told priests that they must discover, recognise and foster the many and varied gifts of the laity. When your President asked me what I was going to talk about tonight I offered to talk on that topic because I happen to believe, with a lot of other people, that collaborative ministry has become one of the major challenges for all people who minister in the Church today.

“Who are the laity?” John Henry Newman asked in 1859, and added, “the Church would look foolish without them.” The laity are our brothers and sisters in the faith and sometimes in the flesh. They are the baptised; they are members of the People of God. They have been given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are our special partners in carrying out the mission which God has entrusted to the Church. The laity are those people who, with a noble and generous heart, have heard the Word and have taken it to themselves and have yielded a harvest through their perseverance. They often inspire us with their courage and humble us with their holiness. In their families they strive to ensure that Christ is born again in the hearts of his children. Each and every one of the People of God has an essential part in the mission of the Church to the world. We need to reclaim for ourselves (priests) and for our lay brothers and sisters, an awareness of the nobility of our vocation to build up the reign of God in the world. Maybe we should broaden out our discussion and discover with faith and recognise with joy and foster an appreciation of the many and various charismatic gifts of all of God’s people, lay, religious and other clergy. These gifts were given by a gracious God for a good purpose. We should try to develop all of those gifts together and work together to achieve that purpose.

Lay people love to hear those words and understandably so. For they are very affirming of the gifts of lay people and form part of that rich vision of the laity produced by the Vatican Council. It says, first of all, that the lay Christian is called to seek the kingdom in the world by engaging in temporal affairs and ordering them according to God’s plan. That is the arena of the laity’s activity, building up the Kingdom of God in the world, taking part in temporal affairs and making sure that they are in accordance with God’s plan.

The Council has a warning for pastors. As bishops and priests we are not established by Christ to undertake alone the whole salvific mission of the Church to the world. We are instead to be ‘Shepherds of the Faithful’. We are to recognise their contributions and charisms so that everyone in his or her own way will, with one mind, co-operate in this common task. An awareness of this common task has grown in the Church over these last thirty-five years, I think. You have the example of a lot of lay people on the missions now for some time. It is an awareness that they too share in that responsibility. This idea of co-responsibility has emerged, but it needs to be fostered more closely.

Thirty-five years later I thought it would be a good idea to do some stocktaking and try to assess how much has been achieved. Where have we failed? What have we missed out on? What can we learn from the experience of other countries? Yes, the help of the laity is urgently needed. We can’t do it all on our own. However all the baptised – lay faithful, religious and priests – are equal members of the people of God.
We all have responsibility for the mission of the Church. There is no point in loading that responsibility onto one section. So, if there are less people in the seats, then that is a critical situation. It is a critical and potentially disastrous situation, first of all, for the people who are missing, who are missing out on so much by not being there. Karl Rahner once said that, ‘There is not, and there should not be, any lay person, given that in its theological meaning a lay person is a member of the Laos, a member of the people of God, that is, someone who is consecrated’. The lay person is the baptised Christian who stays in the world and remains there to change the world into Christ.

DISCOVER WITH FAITH

So how do we discover with faith the gifts of the laity? I think to discover the gifts of anyone, we must know that person. We believe that they are gifted. ‘God does not make junk’ was a favourite saying of the Marriage Encounter people years ago and it is still true.
The first thing that needs to be said is that quite a lot of discovery of the gifts of the laity has taken place. A modern author/observer/commentator, says, ‘for all the adverse criticism to which they have been subjected, the priests and preachers of the late 60s and early 70s, did much more than they have been credited for, certainly more than the huge slow moving bulk of the laity’.

I do not to claim to have the answers to all these questions, far from it. However, from my experience, I know there are great talents among the laity. I come as a fellow-pilgrim. We priests and bishops are called to give leadership to the people but not any sort of leadership. It must be prophetic leadership. We must bring and interpret the Word of God. That leadership is given, not only by the words we speak, not only by the actions we do, but also by our whole lives. The Word of God must first come to us and live in us before we can pass it on to others. A prophet was always someone who has had an experience of God.

The prophet is the one to whom the holiness and will of God have been revealed. To give prophetic leadership the cleric, the leader, must contemplate and meditate on the present and the future, through the eyes of God. Prophetic leadership is a means used by God to guide His Chosen People. Tonight we pray, Lord, help us to listen and to learn from this meeting. Help us to be nourished by your Word before we proceed to nourish other people. Every Christian is an apostle. It is up to us to make people aware of their dignity and their mission and to help them to live up to that dignity and carry out that mission.

I would like this meeting to bring together people’s experience of how they find the achievements, the experiences, and the expectations, of the laity today. You have vast experience here in your midst. Sure, the participation of the laity in the life of the Church since Vatican II has increased and intensified magnificently. It is abundantly obvious in Liturgy but also in catechesis and other different forms of the apostolate.

Like every good educator, the priest is meant to draw out the gifts and talents and leadership qualities that are in the parish. The Holy Spirit, whose work Paul described in Corinth, is not on strike in your parish or in mine. There will be people who are talented in many ways in which the priest is not gifted, for example, music. They will be able to take initiatives, which the priest would never be able to take. The priest should not feel threatened or obliged to stifle such initiatives. The parishioners, like the pastors, are called and obliged to use their gifts for the good of the body, the Church.

During the recent World Youth Day 250 young Irish people were billeted in one parish on the outskirts of Rome – the parish of St. Patrick. They came from Derry, Raphoe, Kilmore, and Armagh. It was quite a challenge in the month of August, at a time when 80% of the parishioners were away of holidays. In the midst of it all the mother of the Parish Priest died and he was on his own in the parish. However, in his absence, his lay committee carried on brilliantly. It was an example of a parish where the Parish Priest knows he does not have a monopoly of leadership, he doesn’t have to initiate everything and he certainly does not have to do everything.

How can we discover, with faith, the many and varied gifts of the lay people in our parishes? First of all by getting to know those people, by visiting their homes, building up a relationship with them, by respecting those people and looking again and seeing their potential and by allowing ourselves to be seen as people who need their help. Sure, we cannot do it alone. The Church today needs all the gifts the Spirit of God gives to the community. But how do we realise and call forth and muster our different strengths and talents? One of the ways is by coming together in a Conference to discuss it and find new strategies and ways and associations.

Among the gifts that have been discovered, and maybe have yet to be discovered to a greater extent, is that people have a hunger for God and a thirst for prayer. Do we under-estimate our ability to discover and recognise this gift and foster it in our people? There is a tremendous hunger for God. We are called to be teachers of prayer. People desire to know the answers to the basic questions of life. There is a desire to know the author of life. Perhaps we are over-dependent on the Sunday homily as a means of reaching and catechising and forming our people. People like to be contacted and challenged. Are we being too diffident? Returned missionaries sometimes marvel at how difficult it is to get readers, altar-servers, gift bearers. Have we failed to put across to them the great honour it is to read at Mass, to read the Word of God. Have we lost something of our own appreciation of the majesty of God?

I was watching television last week and Gary Fahey was being interviewed, a bright, intelligent, young man. He was talking about what an immense honour, a huge honour, it was to play for his county in an All-Ireland final. You could see the pride and the joy surge up in him. Can we somehow put across what an immense honour it is to read the Word of God? To sing God’s praises if we have a singing voice, to bring gifts to the altar, to bring the bread and wine that will be turned into the body and blood of Christ? Have we lost our nerve in saying all of that?

RECOGNISING WITH JOY

Father Enda Lyons, in his book, ‘Partnership in Parish’, talks about the difficulty people have to see themselves as working in partnership with the priest. They see it simply as helping the priest do his job. We obviously have some work to do here to convince them that it is a matter of all the members working together, to do the work of the parish, the Church’s work, which is their own work. The use of the term ‘lay apostolate’ is not in favour nowadays. Because ‘lay’ suggests amateurish and apostolate suggests the 12 apostles and being confined to 12 and so on. But the priest recognises with joy the gifts which a gracious God has given, for a good purpose, furthering the reign of God on earth.

I am sure you have all heard of the famous crucifix of Dresden. After the bombing of Dresden the crucifix survived but without its arms. They decided to leave it like that to emphasize that now in the world, Christ has no arms or hands or fingers, except the arms and hands and fingers of his followers, to carry on his work.

The talents of lay people can be employed in many areas to which the priests or bishops do not normally have access, for example, the realm of business and high finance, the world of media and journalism, the world of sport and entertainment, the world of politics and public life. We all know examples of people who do immense good in all of these domains because of their values and their convictions. They do so in the defence of truth and the promotion of justice. What these people have, is the right to expect help from their pastors to inform their conscience, in the light of their responsibilities and of the decisions which they have to make. The recent document of the Irish Bishops on Prosperity with a Purpose was written to provide some of that help.

Why should priests recognise, with joy, the gifts of the laity? The reason is that by naming and celebrating one another’s gifts we enter into a deeper relationship with people. We commit ourselves to a deeper level of Church. We are committing ourselves to discuss and debate, to forget and forgive and in the process to build up mutual respect and love. The goal of our ministry is to bring about the reign of God. The vision is the path we choose and to which we commit ourselves. We remember that the part of the laity is in the world, there to bring the values of Christ into the world, particularly in the areas of marriage and the family, in the areas of public life and public service, and the areas of professional life and business life.

FOSTER WITH DILIGENCE

Fostering the gifts of laity will mean a new style of leadership. It is a style which involves coaxing and cajoling people, inviting people, promoting small groups discussions, listening, clarifying issues, providing information, and agreeing a way forward. All of this interpersonal action leads to deeper relationships and more lasting commitments. Obviously it can be messy, time-consuming, painfully slow, but eventually more effective. Collaborative ministry is not about efficiency, it is much more efficient to decide on your own, you know best. The role of the leadership in a parish is leadership in a community of brothers and sisters. It should not be seen in terms of power. The fact that the priest is the overall and official leader in the parish does not mean that he is the only leader in it. It is a mistake to think that the priest must initiate everything, not to mention do everything. In every parish there will be people gifted in ways in which the priest is not.

The leader recognises with joy the potential of small seeds and humble beginnings. Who could have recognised the potential of those 15 girls, mostly in their late teens or early twenties, who gathered with one lay-man, and one priest, on 7 September 1921 in Myra House, Francis Street, in this city. Who could have foreseen that what was beginning on that night in those humble circumstances would give rise to a movement that today has members working in 245 radio and TV programmes in Rio Janeiro and 28 branches in one Catholic University in Korea. I am talking about the Legion of Mary. Let’s never despise small beginnings or humble gifts.

New Boards of Management for primary schools are being set up at present. They, and other bodies, like Pastoral Councils, Finance Committees, are the means of ensuring that parishioners can exercise their right to make their needs and wishes known to their pastors. In the past, inadequate preparation and the inexperience of available lay-people, brought setbacks. The best people are not always the easiest to work with and the easiest to work with are not always the best people for the job. Parishioners have the right to express opinions concerning the good of the Church to their pastors. The challenge now is to prepare people to play the full part, appropriate to them in the life of the Church. Pastors have to respect the intelligence and maturity of their parishioners. People are more likely to listen to and obey pastors when they find that their own views are considered and their dignity appreciated. It is a question really of mutual trust and respect. Preaching catachetical formation, pre-sacramental preparation, care of the souls, these are the ordinary means by which lay faithful receive the spiritual assistance from the Church and the Word of God and the sacraments to which they are entitled.

One of the great strengths of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been, and still is, the close links between the lay faithful and their clergy. Those links have been forged by home visitation, especially in times of tragedy and bereavement, pastoral care, involvement in youth ministry and education. They have also been forged by involvement in fund-raising, parish missions, circulation of religious magazines. There is a proud tradition of inter-dependence, deep and loyal friendships and generous mutual support. The priests depend on their people for material support while the laity looks to their clergy for guidance, intercession and consolation.

In recent years the tendency is for pastoral care to become more structured and formalised with the introduction of various ministries into parish life. Due to the age profile and the diminishing number of priests, that process is set to continue and expand. The key factor is not the number of ministries the parish has but its willingness and capacity to become a ministering community. That development depends ultimately on people becoming aware of the needs of others and being ready to meet those needs.

A lot of progress has been made in the introduction of such ministries. Much more needs to take place. With the growing awareness that responsibility for the mission of the Church belongs ultimately to all of the faithful, I am confident that we will rise to that challenge. It will require a big effort of thoughtful planning, determination and commitment to follow through. Working with the laity is no longer an optional extra in parish ministry. It is the standard model nowadays, par for the course.

The vision of competent and committed people, working together in the complex task of ministry, is inspiring. That vision is the path to which we must commit ourselves in order to realise the common goal. Collaboration in ministry means working together to achieve the goal of furthering God’s reign in the world. Jesus entrusted the awesome task of furthering that reign to his disciples when he said, ‘Go, make disciples of all nations, baptising them and teaching them’. However, he did promise to be with them always, to the end of the age. It is the glory of the baptised to share in that office and to have received that mission. It is only by working together that we will fulfil that task and reach our eternal destiny.

FRIENDS’ SCHOOL, LISBURN
SPEECH DAY
ADDRESS BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY
22 SEPTEMBER, 2000

I am most grateful to the Board of Governors for the invitation to Friends’ School, Lisburn, 2000 Speech Day. It is truly a great privilege for me to be here with the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr Haire, the other governors, parents, the headmaster, Mr Green, staff and pupils, to present certificates, prizes and Records of Achievements. I see this invitation as a powerful sign of friendship in the best Quaker tradition and I am very grateful for that. I thank you all sincerely for your warm welcome. I heartily congratulate all those who are going to receive certificates, prizes and Records of Achievements today.
I have to admit that when I received the invitation I was a little overawed at the prospect. And when I told some people that I was coming here today, they were pleasantly surprised. “Well” they said, “that will be a new experience for you”. Yes, it is a new experience and a good experience. I am pleased to be here for many reasons.

I spent thirteen (13) years in a previous chapter of my existence, teaching in a Post-Primary School. That was in my native Co. Cavan where I taught Latin, French and football, among other things. So I was delighted to hear that Jonathan Bell is a past pupil. I watched him brilliantly help Ulster win the European Cup last year in Dublin.

As I wondered what I might say here today I received consolation from something I once heard on ‘Thought for the Day’ on BBC Radio Ulster. The speaker was the Reverend Sam Hutchinson, Clerk of the Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. He lives here in Lisburn. He was recalling the Prize Days and Speech Days of his youth. He said that he has still got the books that he received as prizes then. He does not however, remember a word of what was said in the speeches – so that is some consolation!

Another reason why I am happy to be here is that the Friends in Ireland, as elsewhere, have a long and noble tradition of education. The existence of so many schools and colleges established by Friends is testimony to the Quaker concern for education. We share that concern. Edmund Burke, statesman and political theorist, immediately springs to mind. So also does the Dublin Friend who attended this school, James Green Douglas. He was a member of the committee appointed by the Provisional Government to draft the constitution after the 1921 Treaty negotiated between Britain and the Irish Republican plenipotentiaries. He later became Vice-Chairman of the first Free State Senate and remained a Senator until his death in 1954. We also think of William Glynn who wrote a welcome in Irish from Friends to Pope John Paul II on his visit to Ireland in 1979. An alumnus not immediately associated with Friends, however, is Cardinal Paul Cullen. He was Archbishop of Armagh in the post-famine era of 1849 to 1852 and later Archbishop of Dublin. Cardinal Cullen attended a Quaker School, Co Kildare. In a letter written in 1867 he speaks of “Ballytore School where I received my first lessons in English and Latin, under the care of Mr James White, of whom I retain a grateful remembrance.” As his 11th successor in the See of Armagh in this, the 151st anniversary of his appointment as Archbishop, it seems especially fitting that I should accept your gracious invitation to be Guest of Honour today.

I have been very touched by the opening hymn and period of silence we had at the beginning of our ceremony today. We live in a world full of noise and endless distraction. Creating space for God to speak to us, or rather space and time for us to listen to Him, is not easy but it is important. In silent prayer we can create that space and make that time for this precious meeting. We present our lives to God, our burdens and fears, our joys and happiness, and ask

For hearts to nobler purpose strung
and purified desire.

As I prepared this talk I was delighted but not surprised to be reminded that there is significantly more that unites us than divides us. Our common faith in the Lord of life, and love and power unites us in a powerful bond, greater than any power, which the world can muster. We must increasingly yield to that power at work in us, seeking to transform this world and all human life.

I have read with interest the concept of the Inner Light, which is at the very centre of the Quaker faith. This concept is based heavily on the Prologue of the Gospel of John: “The Word was the true light that enlightens all men; and he was coming into the world.” (John 1:9). The Inner Light discerns between good and evil. As George Fox, your founding father acknowledged, the “ocean of light and love” will triumph over the “ocean of darkness and death” throughout the world because it is the Light and Love of God Himself.

I note the traditional Quaker philosophy of education which states that the duty of the teacher is to discover and foster in each pupil his or her innate qualities and talents, unconfined to a purely academic and scientific programme. The development of the whole person, and not just academic and intellectual formation, is the goal of education. In this Quakerism was well ahead of its time. The Society of Friends values greatly the individual. It is the dignity of the human person, made in the image of God, which is fundamental. If only we could truly realise how precious each individual is how different our world would be. There would no longer be need for battle or war.

I am reminded of the famous painting, Peaceable Kingdom, by the American Quaker artist, Edward Hicks, painted in 1844. In the painting bison and bear, lion and tiger, wolf and goat kid, buffalo and children, lie down in peace. In the background Friends and American Indians peacefully meet. The painting of course is inspired by the Prophet Isaiah: “The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them. The cow and bear make friends, their young lie down together.” (11:6-7).

We can only exist in peace if we work together. But lasting peace is not just a matter of working together. It is not just about structures and strategies. It depends, above all, on the adoption of a style of human co-existence marked by mutual acceptance, respect and forgiveness.

A situation where people simply exist in a state of separation, doing no harm to one another, and interacting only when absolutely necessary in the public sphere, is far from satisfactory. Such an arrangement can never be stable. There is always the danger that it will result in renewed hostilities. Lasting peace must surely include not only the will to co-existence but also a willingness to create a new inclusive community together. It is not clear that this will actually exists as yet. Certainly people want an end to violence but more is needed.

There is need to encourage co-operation in the creation of this new inclusive society. We must pray unceasingly that hearts will be softened, that hearts of stone will be replaced with hearts of flesh, and that the Kingdom of God, groaning to be born in our time on this island, may not be hindered and obstructed. We could do well to keep the intention of political progress in our minds and hearts in our silence at the end of our ceremony today, as we sing,

Take my life and let it be
consecrated Lord to Thee.

Dear young people, I urge you to live up to the high calling put before you in this school. In the words of George Fox: “Be patterns, be examples, in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come.” May you keep as a personal motto throughout your lives the motto of this school: “Seek those things which are above”.

I congratulate Friends’ School, Lisburn on its many achievements and successes to date and wish it continued flourishing and blessing. I am sure that the pupils of this great school are taught to look upon all people as their brothers and sisters, and to reach out to others in a spirit of trust, friendship and acceptance. I congratulate you, teachers, on all that you do to teach your pupils the true values of life. I know that as you introduce them to the complexity of history, you help them to live in every situation, the virtues of tolerance, understanding and respect.

Young men and women – take as your models those who build peace and promote harmony. I know that you cherish great hopes in your hearts. May your years here prepare you to share the treasures of other cultures and traditions. May you all play your part in bringing about a world which is reconciled and fully human.

DR JACK WEIR
1919 – 2000
STATEMENT ON HIS DEATH BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY
19 SEPTEMBER, 2000

I am sorry to hear of the death of Dr Jack Weir. He was a man of many fine qualities. As Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and later as Moderator of the General Assembly, he played a key role in the meetings of the Four Church Leaders and generously used his talents to promote greater understanding and to build good relationships.

I sympathise with the Moderator and the members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland on the passing of this outstanding Churchman

DEDICATION OF HIGH CROSS
TERMONMAGUIRC, CARRICKMORE
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2000
HOMILY BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

We stand on holy ground as we come together to bless and dedicate Termonmaguirc High Cross. We stand in the shadow of Mullaghnalap. Here, tradition says Colmcille founded one of his monasteries. The very place names: An Termon, Páirc na hAltóra, Fód na Marbh, Reilig na mBan, speak to us of a reality that goes beyond the grave. They remind us that we have not here on earth a lasting kingdom. We seek one that is to come.

Today we raise a cross, high over Carrickmore, the Big Rock. This cross will remind us of the Jubilee, the Great Jubilee of the Holy Year 2000. It reminds us also of another cross, raised on another rock, on the hill of Calvary, outside the walls of Jerusalem.

Today this parish makes a statement. It says: “we believe in the power of Jesus Christ whose holy Cross redeemed the world”. The Cross of Jesus Christ is the supreme expression of his love for each one of us. We cannot look into the heart of Jesus, but the suffering which he willingly and eagerly endured, for our sake, reveals his sacred heart to us.

He knew there is no heart so hard, so cold, and so selfish, that he couldn’t set on fire if only that heart would give itself to him. To kindle this fire of love in our hearts, God allows suffering to come to us. He allows the Cross to come into our lives. He can take away our hearts of stone and give us hearts like his own. The sufferings, which God allows to come to us, will do that if we take them and accept them in the right spirit.

If we welcome even the smallest cross that comes to us in life a number of things will happen. We will find our own crosses very much lightened. We will experience a joy that may open up a new realm of happiness. We will discover a sense of fellowship with Jesus in his suffering.

Jesus once said to the Jews: “and I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all things to myself”. What he said to the Jews he now says to all of us – “I have been lifted up on the Cross on Calvary. I now have the power to lift up to myself all those who have faith in me. For all those who look to me with faith and love, deserve to be drawn to me”.

So, when you look at this splendid Jubilee High Cross, never forget the wonderful promise of Jesus, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all things to myself”. Let this great Cross be a reminder for all of us that in Jesus we have everything. His merits are now our merits. I see the erection of this High Cross as a great act of hope in those merits.

This High Cross commemorates the Holy Year of the Great Jubilee of the Birth of Our Saviour. One of the great themes of this holy year is that of pilgrimage. Here we are today on pilgrimage to a place associated with one of the greatest of the Irish saints – St Colmcille. Last Sunday another Colmcille, and another Irish person, Columba Marmion, was beatified in Rome. The whole purpose of the Holy Year is that we ourselves become holy, that we ourselves grow in holiness. The saints are important to us in this effort. The saints reveal to us in their lives the holiness of God. The saints are models for us to follow. They give us inspiration.

Blessed Columba Marmion has many links with the Archdiocese of Armagh. His brother was a medical doctor in Dungannon. His cousins live in Omagh and Dungannon. There are many Marmion cousins in County Louth. In fact there is a family tree in existence which traces their history back to their arrival in Ireland in 1495 in Carlingford, County Louth. I said the saints inspire us with their lives and with their words. Blessed Columbia Marmion once wrote: “If Christ died for us while we were his enemies, what grace of forgiveness or of sanctification can he refuse us now that we detest sin and strive to detach ourselves from sin.”

Another theme of this Holy Year is that of reconciliation, conversion and forgiveness. The big obstacle on the road to holiness is sin. Personal sin separates us from God and from our neighbour. But, as Blessed Columba Marmion tells us, ‘Sin need not be a problem because Christ will not refuse us the grace of forgiveness provided we detest our sins and try to detach ourselves from them.

This new Termonmaguirc High Cross is really a catechism and a history of the faith in pictures. I hope you will all take time to study and reflect upon it. There is one panel which is especially pleasing to me; that is the panel which represents Pope John Paul II on his jubilee trip to the Holy Land. On that occasion Pope John Paul placed a prayer in a slot in the Wailing Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem. He did this as a sign of reconciliation. In a true spirit of Jubilee he asked for forgiveness for offences caused by Christians, especially against Jews. The Pope’s gesture inspired images for this panel.

While I was in Rome for the beatification of Blessed Columba Marmion I was handed a lovely picture. It represents the Holy Father embracing a beautiful crucifix on 12 March last. That was the day on which the Pope asked forgiveness from those who have been offended or hurt by people in the Church. He in turn then offered forgiveness to those who have offended the Church in the past. This picture shows us the Pope touching the legs of Jesus and looking towards the face of Jesus as if to say, ‘Lord, I remember your words on Calvary, your words on the Cross, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do’. It is as if the Holy Father is saying to the Lord, ‘Lord, help us to forgive those who have offended us and to ask forgiveness from those whom we have offended’. Only by being united to Christ and to his forgiving love can we ourselves can be forgiven and can we offer forgiveness.

In one of his recent messages for World Peace Day – Pope John Paul II said, ‘We all need to be forgiven by others, so we must all be ready to forgive’. Certainly forgiveness doesn’t come spontaneously or naturally to people. Forgiving from the heart can sometimes be actually heroic. The pain of losing a child, a brother or sister, one’s parents or whole family, as a result of war, terrorism, or criminal acts, can lead to a total closing of oneself to others.

People, who have been left with nothing because they have been deprived of their land and home, refugees and those who have endured the humiliation of violence, cannot fail to feel the temptation to hatred and revenge. Only the warmth of human relationships, marked by respect, understanding and acceptance can help them to overcome such feelings.

The power to forgive and to offer forgiveness can be experienced even by a wounded heart. That power is available thanks to the healing power of love – a love which has its origin in God who is love. That love was revealed on the Cross on Calvary. This Jubilee High Cross declares that we believe in the power of that love to change lives and to heal hurts. The gift of reconciliation comes, first of all, from God. God calls those who are acting unjustly to repent and those who suffer injustice to forgive.

There are many areas of life where there is need for reconciliation, for example in family life, in work or business, in public and political life. Where people have been hurt, for example in a marriage relationship, it is important not to gloss over the wrong that has been done. If an effort is made to move too quickly to forgiveness, then the victim may feel helpless, unable to accept that forgiveness. The process of healing then cannot take place. Forgiveness does not depend on repentance by the oppressor. Quite the contrary, forgiveness on the part of the victim often comes before repentance by the oppressor. The ability to forgive and to be open to reconciliation is a gift from God.

Looking at this Jubilee Cross we pray for the ability to forgive and for the grace of being open to reconciliation. Where reconciliation has taken place the victims may still bear the scars of oppression. They can become powerful instruments of God’s saving power as wounded healers. There have been many such outstanding examples in recent times in this part of the world. They are examples of a mysterious power which God uses to draw good out of evil. The torture and death of Jesus on the Cross on Calvary led to the hope and new life of Easter. The power of the Cross draws new and deeper life out of suffering and out of evil.

May the presence of this Cross lead us all to identify the areas of our lives that are crying out for forgiveness and reconciliation. Those areas can lie in our own personal domestic life, in our business or professional relationships, in our public or political activities. Reconciliation with God and with people lies at the heart our religion. There can be no question of being reconciled with God unless we are willing to be reconciled with those around us. In fact, reconciliation with others is the only convincing evidence that we are in fact reconciled with God.

On the Cross Jesus Christ left us Mary, his mother, to be our mother. May the memory of her standing bravely at the foot of the Cross, inspire us all. May it remind us that God sometimes calls us to do heroic things but if He does, He gives us the strength to do them. God is the one who enables us to be reconciled to others. In Jesus the Son of God, we have everything we need. His merits are our merits. We are not alone.

Hail, O Cross, our only hope. Today we thank God for the imagination, faith and genius of those who designed and commissioned Termonmaguirc High Cross. We praise God for the creativity, energy and patience of those who chiselled it into existence. We thank God for the generosity and commitment of those who are supporting and financing this undertaking. May this symbol of the great victory of good over evil always remain for the Third Millennium Christians of Termonmaguirc and surrounding area a beacon of hope in their struggles against evil. May it inspire them to remain faithful to the Mass where the sacrifice of the Cross is remembered and renewed each day. May it bind them more closely to Christ, who reigns from the Cross of Calvary.
AMEN

ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO SHRINE OF ST. OLIVER PLUNKETT
APOSTLE OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION
ST. PETER’S DROGHEDA
SUNDAY 4 JULY 1999
ADDRESS BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

At this shrine, dedicated to St. Oliver Plunkett, Apostle of Peace and Reconciliation, we come to pray at this critical time that a just and fair basis can be found, and accepted, for a new and lasting partnership between the two traditions on this island. We pray, in a special way, for those political leaders who are striving to arrive at and bring about a shared vision of peace and concord. Our hope is that by continuing to work together they will reach agreement, resolve the remaining outstanding difficulties, and lead all of us into a new era, an era of peace and hope for everybody.

For this to happen certain fears have to be overcome. Greater trust has to be built. Some fear that what is on offer is not the accommodation between the two sides, which it claims to be, but rather a victory by stealth for one side to the detriment of the other side’s interest. Many are afraid that, despite being so close, all could still be lost. All of those fears must be addressed and dispelled.

What is needed is a safe and secure environment where the aspirations and visions of both cultures can be respected, valued, and find appropriate expression. There can be no exclusion of the cultural expression of either side.

Each one of us is called to be leader for peace at this time. There will be many ways by which we can all help. Those who have prayed and continue to pray, lend their energy to the search for a lasting and just solution. We must all look for opportunities to encourage those whose trust and courage falter.

We are entering a time of year when tensions run particularly high. It is not a time which is conducive to calm reflection and objective assessment. I appeal to all with power to do so, to use that power to ensure that the coming week is peaceful. May God be with those who counsel calm and restraint.

During the past week a Novena of Prayer took place in the parish of Portadown in preparation for today’s feast, to ask the help of St. Oliver Plunkett. People there are acutely aware of the damage, which this conflict is causing, particularly in their community. They know the negative impact it is having on everybody, especially on the dreams and hopes of the young people.

The issue of the impasse at Drumcree is a mighty challenge. But overcoming challenges is the essence of the human spirit. Resolving the issues and tensions generated by Drumcree would, I believe, be a source of enormous hope for all. The issue can be resolved because the will is there, but so also are the fears. A resolution could be reached provided both sides commit themselves to working constructively together to improve community relations in Portadown, to understand each other’s position, and to reach accommodation on the future of parades. The impasse could be resolved if both sides were to approach those talks in a spirit of good faith, mutual respect and generous acceptance of cultural diversity.
Mighty challenges need mighty solutions. Gathered here at the shrine of someone who faced the same mighty challenges in his day, let us invoke the help of St. Oliver Plunkett to ensure that this historic opportunity for peace may not be missed.

May God grant that the last year of this millennium may also be the last year of this painful and damaging conflict.

EXTRACT
OPENING AND BLESSING OF NEW ORATORY
ST BRIGID’S SHRINE, FAUGHART, CO. LOUTH
SUNDAY, 26 NOVEMBER, 2000, 3.30PM
HOMILY BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

Last Sunday the Catholic Church celebrated the Jubilee for the Police and Armed Services. It was a recognition of the truth that these services are called to play an important role in society. As guardians of the peace and upholders of justice they are called to defend the poor and weak, protect the innocent and promote peaceful coexistence and harmony. They are to uphold the rights of all citizens and in so doing they are often called upon to confront violence and to oppose on behalf of the rest of society the destructive power of evil, so often present and active in the world. This is not an easy task. It requires great courage, self-discipline and integrity.

And yet it is a vital task because the fair and impartial administration of justice defends people against injustice, vandalism and crime. It lays the basis for lasting peace. The Police and Armed Services need the help of the community to enable them to do their job of protecting the community against the threat of criminals. In this context the decision of the Army Board regarding two Scots Guardsmen is a cause of great concern and disappointment.

Peace is a fundamental right of every human being. It is a right that must be continually protected and promoted. Because an effective and acceptable police service can play such an important role in the building and preservation of peace, a police service, representative of and accepted by the whole community in Northern Ireland, is a major element in the peace process.

The Patten Report made an important contribution to the peace process. The Police Bill is another step hopefully on the way to an acceptable situation. While there are a number of problems still unresolved, the progress already made must be recognised and acknowledged. That progress was made through negotiation and discussion. Those discussions must continue because important elements of the Patten Report have yet to be implemented. They are of such fundamental importance to the provision of the sort of police service that is going to work and so essential to the future well-being of the whole community that they must be addressed. The legislators need the support of all as they struggle to achieve the provision of a new police service that will be acceptable to all.

There are other important elements in the peace process that need to be implemented. More needs to be done about the decommissioning of illegally-held arms. That issue is also of fundamental importance in the process of generating confidence and building trust. It is also part of the new beginning.

All who seek peace must be resolute in their conviction that violence is unacceptable as a means of resolving conflict. Bombings, shootings, punishment beatings, expulsions, acts of violence and intimidation, must be seen and condemned for what they are – criminal injustices towards the victims and a serious threat to the security and stability of society. The fact that they continue underlines the fragile nature of the agreement that has been reached and the constant need for that agreement to be upheld and consolidated.

MASS FOR THE DEAF
SUNDAY 18 JUNE 2000
IN
MOUNT OLIVER PASTORAL CENTRE, DUNDALK
INTRODUCTION BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

I welcome you all to Mount Oliver today. I am very happy to celebrate this Mass with you. Today we celebrate a big feast. Today we celebrate the kind of God we believe in. We believe in One God. In God there are three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is a family of three persons. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit know each other very well. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit love each other always. We are here to praise God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit and so we begin. In the name of the Father……………

MASS FOR THE DEAF
HOMILY BY Cardinal SeÁN BRADY
IN
MOUNT OLIVER, DUNDALK
SUNDAY 18 JUNE 2000

I thank Sister Carmel McAvoy for inviting me here today. It is nice to be here beside the sea. It is good to see you all. It is good that we can come together and have this Mass and have a meal together. We come together to praise God. We believe in the same God. We all believe there is only One True God – a God who can do all things.

Do you watch football on the television? Perhaps tonight you will watch Derry and Antrim. Maybe last night you watched England and Germany. Well when the All-Ireland final comes, there will be one, and only one, All Ireland champions. I hope it will be Armagh. Father Paul Strain may be hoping for Antrim to win. And, at the end of the European Championships there will be only one European Champion. A lot of people say it will be France. I do not know. But there will be only one European Champion.

In the same way there is only one God, one true God. But in God there are three persons. That is hard to understand. In fact we cannot understand it. We would never have known it only God has told us. The three persons are – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. As I say, we cannot understand how this can be but we know that that is the way God is. God is one family of persons, so God is not lonely. God is a family of three persons who know each other very well. God is a family of three persons who love each other always.

God knows you and me well. God knows us all. God loves us all. We sometimes get gifts for those who love us. God has given all of us many gifts. The first and biggest gift is the Gift of Life. But that is not all. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. Jesus Christ became a man, a human person. He was born of the Virgin Mary. He came to show us how much God loves us. He travelled around telling people God loved them. Jesus loved us so much that he died for us. He showed us how much God loves each one of us. He told us that we must love each other. We must treat each other well. When Jesus went back to the Father, he sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is still with us. The Holy Spirit came to us at Baptism. The Holy Spirit came to us at Confirmation. The Holy Spirit comes to us, to help us to do what God wants us to do, to give us strength. The Holy Spirit is in this Church.

The one God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, comes to each one of us in Holy Communion. God comes to us in Holy Communion to be our food and drink. God comes to us in Holy Communion to give us strength to live the kind of life God wants us to live.

So today, we thank God for sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to tell us about God. We thank God for sending the Holy Spirit to make us holy. We ask God to help us follow what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. We ask God to forgive us for the times we did not do what God wanted us to do. We ask for help for this coming week. We ask God to help our families and friends. We say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

AMEN

THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
MESSAGE FROM
CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY
1 January 2000

The Millennium for me is all about the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the fact that it is 2000 years since Jesus Christ came into the world. Now that’s what makes Christianity different from all other religions. Its belief that God became one of us in Jesus Christ. God comes in person to speak to man and to point out the way by which God may be reached. We are going through a period of immense change, very fast change and humanity and society need to grasp the question, “Where do I come from? Where am I going? How do I get there?”

One of the tragic aspects of western society at the moment is that of religious indifference. Many people live as if God did not exist, or, they are happy with a very vague superficial religiosity. The Western World is very highly developed in technology but really impoverished in spirituality. The result is that it tends to forget God or it keeps God at a distance. Another result is that we are not well equipped to come to grips with questions about truth especially in matters of hard choices or crisis.

The fundamental question today is one of faith. By faith I mean a free act by which I accept that Jesus Christ is the truth and I freely commit myself to him. The results of that kind of religious indifference, which we are experiencing here in the West, is a neglect of religious duties. We forget God. We have no place for religion in public life and sometimes even there is no place in private life. An indifference to God leads ultimately to indifference to our neighbour as well. The cause of God nowhere humiliates the cause of the human person. Some people are suspicious that the glory of God will lead to a reduction and humiliation of the human person. The existence of God and His presence in history are the foundation and guarantee of our authentic liberty. It is rather, promises, which are purely worldly, that reduce human persons to slavery, in a totalitarian fashion, as recent history has shown.

All Christians celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ in the world. So the Millennium for me will be an important year along with other Christians to look together to Christ and to renew our faith in him and renew our commitment to him. We look back at what has happened in the past one thousand years and what is happening at present as a condition for looking to the future. As we look back we will see many divisions, of course, and see that people on both sides were to blame, but out of that I would hope that there would come a deep desire to continue to pray for unity. The importance of spiritual ecumenism is vital and the hope is that the widespread discussions with other Churches would continue. Indeed this Holy Year is a call to overcome indifference and division. Not just among Christians but among believers of all nations. But this Holy Year should strengthen Christians in their belief in God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. I keep going back to the problem of religious indifference. My prayer is that the abandonment of the practice of religion will be halted, because really that abandonment of religious practice leads eventually to atheism. People, because they are really weak as regards religious and faith education, come to see religious practice as useless or senseless in their lives.

There has been a lot of talk about moving on here in Ireland in recent times. Hopefully we are moving to a new kind of society where the bitter legacy of division is going to be left behind. Certainly the problem of division, the division between Christians but also the divisions on the grounds of race, the division on politics between Nationalist and Unionist, these divisions hopefully will become less strident and more dialogical.

There is also the division between people who are spiritually minded and those who are materialistically minded. We must address all of those, awaiting for a New Year therefore a new Decade, a new Century, a new Millennium. It is a time for looking forward and a time for looking back. As regards the Church, the Church must commit itself by words and deeds and above all by prayer to creating a culture of life and love. A civilisation which will replace the civilisation of death and hatred. We look back with thanks. We look forward with hope and joy.

The coming of Jesus Christ was the dawn of a new era and yet still two thirds of the world do not know him. And so we look back and critically analyse Church life with a view to getting the energy to continue to try to carry out his command of bringing his message to the ends of the earth.

The time, as we wait for the coming of the new Millennium, the new Decade, the new Century, obviously will be a thoughtful time, a time that is tinged with sadness but nonetheless rich in memories and hopefully very rich in hope and love. Endings are sometimes sad. They remind us of our mortality, our frailty. The Risen Christ tells us that, for his followers endings are never final. God and love last forever.

The Church of Christ must recognise the confusion and the desperation which are found in so many lives and give them new hope and direction. We live in a world that is waiting and searching. The Church must always be a voice for the voiceless. We live in a world that is searching for something new. That search is really for happiness which will last forever. It is a search for fullness of life. A world, dominated by buying and having, eating and drinking, promises everything but knows well that it cannot give true happiness.

Instead it offers a wide variety of substitutes such as superficial amusement, hectic activity, drugs, alcohol, lots of material goods, craving for prestige and power. That is not really what satisfies. We believe and we know from experience that Jesus Christ is alive and present in his Church. That life and that presence is a source of immense hope for the world. We are all called to play our part in announcing that news. We are all called to bring that good news. We are also called to celebrate that hope and that life in our liturgies, in our prayer life, in our community life. We are called to serve that hope by our solidarity with the poor, with those less well off, with the homeless, the asylum seekers. We are to be in solidarity with aids victims, those on the margins of society. The civilisation of love and life has to be built by the followers of Christ. It must be built on the foundations of justice, truth, freedom, solidarity and peace.

My hope for the New Millennium is that civil society would respect its duty to honour the family as the basic building block of society and protect the stability of the marriage bond and the institution of the family. Another hope is that the threats to peace and the causes of war, namely injustice, excessive inequality, envy, lack of trust and pride, be tackled and eliminated. My hope is that the potential of the sacrament of Reconciliation, as a source of pardon and forgiveness and peace, be rediscovered.

HOMILY BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY
ARMAGH DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO KNOCK
SUNDAY 28 MAY 2000

I am sure there are many who are mothers here today. You have come as pilgrims from Galway, Clonfert, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora as well as from Armagh, Tyrone, Louth and Derry with the Armagh Diocesan Pilgrimage and I am sure from many other parts of Ireland as well.

The mothers of Ireland always love to come to Knock, the shrine of Mary, the Mother of God. You come here to talk to Mary about the joyful mysteries of your own life – the good news of births and baptisms, first communions and confirmations. You also come to turn to Mary in the sorrowful mysteries of life, to have your faith strengthened by Mary’s faith, to draw fresh hope from the promises of Christ in times of sorrow. You are here to get help for the sick, guidance for those doing exams and consolation for those in the midst of affliction. The sorrowful mysteries of life touch us all.

I am sure you are here also to share with Mary your hopes and joys, for yourselves and for your families, for their successes and their futures. We ask Mary’s son, Jesus, to bring us all to Eternal Life, by the saving power of his resurrection.

Of course there are many here who are not mothers but we all have, or had, mothers. Our mothers gave us life, brought us into the world. They showed us love. All of us owe our lives to a mother who was willing to have us – no matter how difficult it may have been in times of hardship and distress. They looked after us, they sacrificed many things so that we could survive. They did without many of the essentials of life, perhaps, that we might have enough. Mothers reveal to us a God, who is love, by their own love for us.

Love comes from God because God is love. But very often love comes from God through the love of a mother, a mother who gives life, who teaches us about God not so much by her words, but by her actions.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman. God had spoken many times and in various ways down through the centuries and through the prophets. Finally, 2000 years ago, God sent His Son to live among us and to tell us about the inner life of God. That is the jubilee we are celebrating this year. The sending of His Son is the high point of God’s revelation to the human race. God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world, His Only Son so that we could have life through him. God makes known His plan for us. It is a fantastic plan. The plan was that through Christ we would have access to the Father. We would come to share the life of God.

A woman is to be found at the centre of this plan. Her name is Mary. When Mary said ‘yes’ to the Angel Gabriel she accepted to play her part in God’s plan. That involved a union with God that surpasses all expectations.

Now of course the daughters of Israel, since they were God’s chosen people, were hoping that one day, one of them would become the mother of the Messiah. But who could imagine that the promised Messiah would in fact be the Son of the Most High God? And for someone like Mary who believed that there was only one God, such a thing was difficult to imagine. Nevertheless Mary did believe the promises that were made to her. She was able to accept that what is impossible with men or women, is possible with God.
There are lots of people who sacrifice themselves for others. Mothers do so especially. Mary was that kind of person for the infant Church and that is why we call her ‘Mother of the Church’. She prayed, she obeyed God’s will, she agreed to bring the Saviour into the world. She accepted the sorrow of seeing her son suffer and die. She stood by the Church in its infancy and in its birth. At Pentecost she was there with the disciples praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit. And the Church is still under her guidance because Mary’s role in the Church cannot be separated from her union with Christ.

Mary achieved a union with God through her son. We are all called to union with God. That union with God will decide the final destiny of each one of us. If that union exists at the moment of death we will be united with God forever in heaven. If that union is absent because we have failed to keep God’s commandments and have not repented of sins, then we will be lost for all eternity. The dignity of every human being finds its measure in its union with God. Each one of us is created in the image and likeness of God. We can only find fulfilment and eternal happiness with the God in whose image and likeness we are created.

Today’s readings emphasise the fact that we can preserve our union with God only by keeping His commandments, especially the commandment to love one another. We are to love one another, even those who are different from us. Today’s readings spell that out very clearly. We hear Peter saying, “The truth I have now come to realise is that God does not have favourites. Anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to Him”.

In the eyes of God, all human beings have equal dignity. They have equal rights. Any attempt to marginalise or penalise certain groups simply because they are refugees or asylum seekers must be resisted. It is incompatible with our commitment to the following of Jesus Christ who was himself an asylum seeker in Egypt.

There are legitimate fears about the effects of excessive immigration. Some of those fears are due to lack of information. In some cases those fears have been exploited. However, those who express genuine and serious concerns have the right to be heard. The problem must be addressed calmly and in a spirit of justice and honesty, with respect and trust.

In the last decade Ireland has made great economic progress. That progress took place because the social partners decided to put the common good before sectional interest. Ireland is now, for many, a wealthy nation. In bygone days other wealthy nations welcomed Irish emigrants to their shores.
Nowadays ties of dependence exist among peoples all over the world. The common good has to be pursued at international level also. The alleviation of the miseries of refugees and of migrants is one of the great challenges of our times. One thing is certain – wherever individuals or groups are branded as enemies, we run the risk of losing something valuable, the ability to treat fellow human beings decently and respectfully.

Wealthy nations have a responsibility to admit to their territory – as far as they possibly can – foreigners who come in search of security and the opportunity to earn a living. At the same time governments have to protect the common good and make sure that the right of immigration is not abused and is exercised in accordance with properly legal conditions. I am confident that the followers of Christ will rise to this challenge here in Ireland generously and in a spirit of genuine Christian charity and hospitality.

We are celebrating a Jubilee. It is interesting to note what God said to Moses about the Jubilee in the Book of Leviticus, “the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. With me you are but aliens and tenants”. In the sight of God we are all aliens in a land that has been given to us by a generous and gracious God.

The primary objective of the Jubilee is a renewal of faith in Jesus and a renewal of our own commitment to follow Jesus. At the beginning of his public life, Jesus said he “came to preach the Good News to the poor”.

Committing ourselves to Jesus means committing ourselves to justice and peace. Pope John Paul II has said that a commitment to justice and peace in a world of tremendous social inequality is necessary for any genuine celebration of the Jubilee. “Followers of Christ will have to speak up,” he says, “on behalf of all the poor of the world. They will have to call for a substantial reduction of the international debt which threatens to cripple so many poor nations. “

The Jubilee is an opportunity to think about the other challenges of our time. One of these, mentioned by the Pope, is the difficulty of dialogue between different cultures. That difficulty is particularly relevant at present in Northern Ireland. The challenge of reconciling the two different cultures is really a challenge to love one another as Christ has loved us, to forgive as Christ forgives us.

We celebrate our pilgrimage at a time of hope. Hope does not mean that we just sit back and watch things happen. Hope implies that we all accept responsibility for the future. Yes, of course, the future lies in the hands of God, but the future also lies in our hands. The values of mutual respect and trust are essential to our future. These values must be carefully cherished and promoted.

When we come to Knock we pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. And when we pray the mysteries of the Assumption and the Coronation of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, we find the answer to the question of what lies beyond the grave for all of us. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has been honoured as the lowly servant who was taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven. She is the promise of the final end of all God’s people. Where she has gone, we hope to follow. She is a sign of hope and comfort to all of us on our pilgrim journey through life. She has reached her final and total fulfilment in the glory of God.

The Great Jubilee calls us to recognise in Jesus the truth of the love of God. Mary is, for all of us, a model of faith in welcoming that truth into our lives. She is also a tremendous support in our efforts to live up to the demands of following Christ. May our pilgrimage to Knock change and challenge all of us. The work which Christ gave to his Church is still only at its beginning. A lot of people have not yet heard the news about Jesus Christ. A lot of countries have become cut off from their Christian roots. There is work to be done. Mary, Mother of the Apostles, Mother of the Church, help us to do our part of that work.
AMEN