Ara Coeli
Cathedral Road
ARMAGH BT61 7QY
Tel (028) 3752 2045
Fax (028) 3752 6182
Email: [email protected]
Administrative Staff:
Mrs Caroline Hicks
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Mrs Donna Gray
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Mrs Kathy Lennon
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Chancellor:
Very Rev Michael Toner PP
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Assistant Chancellor:
Rev Paul Murphy
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Diocesan Secretary:
Rev Colm Hagan
[email protected]
Financial Administrator:
Mrs Brenda O’Hare
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Media Queries:
Mr Martin Long – Tel: 01 5053010
Mobile: 086 1727 678
[email protected]
Find below a useful resource made available by Msgr Jim Carroll about Pilgrimages:
The Diocesan Prayer and Spirituality Commission has organised a day of prayer entitled Prayerfest for Saturday March 4th at Drumcree Pastoral Centre Portadown. This follows on from our successful Spiritfest Days in former years. The emphasis is very much on time praying together. Full details are attached as downloadable documents, poster and draft timetable. There is no charge for the day but please bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee will be provided. We start at 9.30 am with registration. Hope you will come and join us.
Catholic Schools Week was celebrated throughout all of our schools last week. On Tuesday January 31st over 600 Students and teachers came to St John the Baptist Church in Portadown for the first of two Diocesan Celebrations. Led by Archbishop Eamon the theme this year was Catholic Schools , working with Pope Francis in caring for our common home. This was a practical call to everyone to live the spirit behind the holy Fathers letter Laudato Si. See attached photographs. Many schools actively participated in the liturgy and music was provided by the St John the Baptist. College Community Choir. Archbishop Eamon spoke of the warm appreciation of Pope Francis when he learned of the theme of our celebrations this year. In particular he loved the idea behind Schools becoming eco or green Schools displaying their special eco green flags and actively seeking to live out the principles of active care for our world and its dwindling resources. The service ended by all holding a small cross and pledging to be carers for our planet practicing justice for all of creation and seeking to redress some of the harm already caused to our plant and all its beautiful creatures and resources.
A second diocesan celebration was held in Dundalk by Seine at the Holy Redeemer Church on Thursday February 2nd. About 1000 students attended this event which as based on a songs of praise model. This too was greatly appreciated by all. Two key talks were given by Archbishop Eamon and councillor Mr Mark Deary. Students fully enjoyed the eco justice message and sang their hearts out. Clapping and doing the movements to some of the hymns and songs proved as popular as ever. This year saw some fab drumming that helped add to the active participation by all.
Pope Francis – Reflecting on why I wrote my letter ‘Laudato Si – Care of our Common Home’
Narrator: Pope Francis was recently asked by a child why he wrote a letter to the whole world about caring for the earth. He told the child that as well as being the leader of the Catholic Church, he was also a scientist. He said that he had talked to a lot of other scientists and experts in climate change and they were all very worried about the state of the earth and what human beings were doing to cause climate change. This, he said, had helped him to understand that serious action needed to be taken before it was too late. He told the child that before sitting down to write his letter, he had thought about all the people in the world and especially the poor living in the worst affected countries. Later that night as he slept, he dreamt about this and in his dream he could hear the voices of young children calling out to him. This is what they said:
Jovita: Holy Father Francis, my name is Jovita. I am ten years old. I am from the Philippines in Southern Asia. I was at home with my family when a huge storm came. We had been warned that a bad storm was on its way, but we decided to stay and hoped that it would pass. The winds were very loud. We were very scared. Then the waves came. In a second our house was gone. I only survived because my grandad held on to me as we all clung to the roof of a neighbour’s house. After two hours the winds died down and the water drained away. Our house was completely gone. Most of our village was gone. All we owned was gone. But, amazingly, we survived with only scrapes and bruises. We are now living in a huge camp with thousands of other people from all around the Philippines who have lost their homes just like us. We hope that one day we can all return to our village and rebuild our home. However, we worry in case more storms like this will come again. Please pray for us.
Josef: Papa Francis, my name is Josef. I am six years old. We live in a small village in Kenya in Africa. I live on a farm with my grandmother and my two brothers. Sadly, Mama died in 2012. The place that we live in is very dry. We have had no real rain for over two years. We do not have enough water to drink or to help our crops to grow. We live over 30 miles from the nearest river. Sometimes all we have to eat is flour mixed with a tiny bit of milk. Our goats died in the summer because we did not have enough water to give them a drink. I use a damp cloth to keep clean. I have never had a bath. My grandmother says that we are probably going to have to move to one of the cities soon as the rains won’t come and our crops will fail again. If this happens, we will have nothing to sell or eat. Please ask the world to help us.
Maria: Papa Francesco, my name is Maria. This year I am 15. I live with my family in the biggest city in Honduras in the Americas. We have a lot of very hot weather, but also some terrible tropical storms. One of the worst storms we have had was in 1998 when Hurricane Mitch killed over 10,000 people. I wasn’t born when this happened, but I can still see the damage that the storm left behind. My mother often has nightmares about the hillside sliding and all the people and houses being swept away in a huge mudslide. In school we have learned that cutting down the trees meant that there was nothing left to protect us and to keep the hillside in place. Houses, animals, crops and people were all simply washed away. When I was just four years old, we had to leave our home for a full year as we were hit by two different storms. We never seem to have a chance to recover. These storms just keep coming. This summer we were forced to flee again because of another hurricane called Earl. I am frightened that eventually a storm so powerful will come, that it will destroy everyone and everything in my country. Please help us to protect our land and homes.
Anna: Holy Father Francis, I am Anna and I am 14 years old. For the past three years I have lived on a Research station on King George Island, 75 miles from Antarctica with my scientist parents Jonathan and Rachel. It is beautiful here, but also very, very cold – minus 45 degrees at the minute, but it can go as low as minus 80. There are no trees or plants, just loads and loads of snow. My mom says that although it is very cold here, the ozone layer directly above us has a huge hole in it and temperatures have actually risen by nearly 3 degrees. Dad is worried that this is causing a thinning of the great ice sheets. Already, one of these has completely collapsed into the sea. If they continue to melt, then the sea levels will rise everywhere. Dad says that people across the world who live by the coast will face flooding or maybe even completely lose their homes and land. I am also worried about the penguins who live here. They are really cute. Dad has told me the numbers of penguins has dropped by 50% in the last forty years. If it gets any warmer, the penguins will wiped out. Please Holy Father, tell the world about this and help us to stop this from happening.
Boukou: Holy Father Francis, my name is Boukou and I am 10 years old. I live in a rainforest in Cameroon, with my mother, father, two brothers, a little sister and two grandparents. We are Baka tribe people. Our ancestors were among the first people to live here. The forest is a beautiful and amazing place. We would love you to come and see it. We depend on the forest to provide us with food and shelter. We move around from place to place in search of food. However, our beautiful forests are under threat and our people are being forced to leave. Big companies are cutting down the trees and destroying our land. So much of our forest has already been cut down and if this is allowed to continue, more than half of the rainforests in the world will be gone forever in another few years. When our forests are gone there will be fewer clouds and less rain which will lead to droughts and crop failures all over the world. The rainforests are home to more species of plants and animals than anywhere in the world and they are losing their homes because the trees are being cut down. This will lead to many of God’s beautiful creatures and plants being lost forever. Please help us.
Oliver: Holy Father Francis, my name is Ollie and I am 13 years old. I live in Brisbane, Australia. Like all Aussies, I love the beach and particularly surfing and snorkelling. Just off the coast of where I live lies The Great Barrier Reef. It is one of the Seven Great Natural Wonders of our World. It stretches for 1600 miles and is home to thousands of species of sea life including the humpback whale, dolphins, porpoises, sea turtles and thousands of species of fish. My Dad often takes me out with him to dive and explore this amazing underwater world. However, in school we have been learning that the warmer water temperatures brought on by climate change is effecting our coral reef and threatening all the wonderful life that lives there. Scientists say that our oceans have more acid in them and this is causing the coral to turn white and die. We must reduce our carbon emissions. If we don’t, this amazing natural environment and all its life forms will be lost forever. Pope Francis, when you meet world leaders please tell them about this.
Caoimhe: Pope Francis, Dia dhuit. My name is Caoimhe and I am 9. I live in Cork City in Ireland. I love reading and playing games on my tablet. Last year during storm Desmond our home was flooded. There was thousands of Euros worth of damage. My mammy cried and cried when she saw all the ruined carpets and furniture. We had to go and live with our cousins in the country for 3 months. It wasn’t until this happened that I really started to think about climate change. In Ireland it seems like the seasons are all mixed up at the moment. One year the summer is much hotter than ever before and people find it hard to breathe and the next year we have no summer at all, just endless rain. The winters here have become drier and are much colder than before. In 2010 temperatures were as low as minus 20 degrees in parts of the country. My Dad said that has never happened before. Storms and flooding seem to come more often and are more severe too. We know from the TV that this is happening all over the country and in other parts of Europe too. In school we have been learning a lot about climate change and how it is affecting different countries all over the world, particularly the poorest. I think that this is very worrying. I don’t know what to do. Please pray for us.
Narrator: Pope Francis was deeply moved by each young person’s story. He was terribly saddened by the suffering of so many because of climate change. He could see that the earth was God’s gift to all of us and that our common home had never been so hurt. He could see that time was running out and that serious action was necessary. In his dream, he whispered a prayer to God for guidance and as he did he heard the voices of more young people speaking to him again. This time they were voices of hope. The voices spoke of all the ways that young people were helping to take care of the earth. This is what they said.
Mary: Holy Father, my name is Mary and I am 8 years old. In school we have learned about the importance of recycling our rubbish. We have different coloured bins for things like plastic bottles, cans, paper, cardboard and even leftover food. Nothing is wasted. We are doing this at home as well. It is my responsibility to fill the blue bin each night and to put it out for collection every two weeks. I believe that together we can help take care of the earth and make a difference to climate change.
Des: Holy Father Francis, my name is Des and I am 17 years old. The student council in our school started a campaign last year to reduce our energy consumption and therefore reduce our school’s carbon footprint. This meant making sure that everyone takes responsibility for ensuring lights, computers, smart boards, any electrical device or machine was turned off before leaving a classroom. We also turned down the heating thermostat in the school by 2 degrees. If it get too hot in the classroom, the heating is turned down or off rather than opening a window. Lots of my fellow students have convinced their families to do this in their homes. I believe that together we can help take care of the earth and make a difference to climate change.
Katerina: Holy Father Francis, my name is Katerina and I am 13 years old. I have come to live in Ireland with my Mammy and Daddy so we can have a better life. In Geography and Religion we have studied the effects of climate change. We have learned about all the things that we need to do differently if we want to save our planet for future generations. Recently, I joined the Eco club in my school. Just last week, we held a special assembly for the whole school to make everyone aware of the issue of climate justice. We also held a cake and bun sale at break-time and raised over £1000 for Trócaire to help the people of Haiti who were recently hit by hurricane Matthew. I believe that together we can help take care of the earth and make a difference to climate change.
Conor: Holy Father Francis, my name is Conor and I am 10. My mum used to drive me two miles to school every day. After learning about climate change and the effects that car fumes have on the environment, I now use my bicycle to get to school instead. My class have helped raise money so that a couple of bike racks could be bought and installed in the school yard. We regularly have a ‘Walk to School Week’ or ‘Cycle to School Week’ to encourage more pupils to think about how they travel to and from school. I believe that together we can help take care of the earth and make a difference to climate change.
Ciara: Holy Father Francis, my name is Ciara and I am 8. My Granda loves all kinds of animals and all sorts of plants and flowers too. He grows all his own vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, peas, cabbage, and onions. He keeps chickens and ducks. The chickens and ducks wander all over the farm and lay eggs which Granda boils up for his breakfast. This year, I helped him plant some of the vegetables and he says when harvest time comes around I can help him bring in the crop and we will make a big pot of soup. I can’t wait. I believe that together we can help take care of the earth and make a difference to climate change.
Narrator: Pope Francis told the child that, when he woke from his dream, he felt full of hope and energy. The young people had helped him to see that although the situation was very serious, there were also many reasons to be hopeful. If all the people in the world could come together as one family and promise to live more sustainably, now, and in the future, climate change could be stopped and possibly even reversed. And so, Pope Francis decided to write to every single person on the planet and ask them personally to play their part. He called his letter Laudato Si – Praise Be which are the first words of a famous prayer called Canticle of the Sun written over 900 years ago by St Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of Ecology.
Pledge Prayer (Adapted from SMA Thumbprint Pledge Prayer)
Lord God,
You made us stewards of creation, yet greed and misuse of resources
are destroying the world you entrusted to us. Those who do least to cause climate
change are unjustly suffering the most.
They are without water, land, livelihoods
and many are forced to leave their homes.
As I hold this cross in my hand, I pledge to join Pope Francis and all our brothers and sisters across the world to take greater care of our common home.
As I hold this cross, I pledge to do what I can with my family, my school and the local community.
As I hold this cross, I pledge to reduce, reuse and recycle.
And to seek to live a simpler, fairer and more sustainable life.
As I hold this cross, I pledge to use your gifts wisely and carefully, mindful that what I do today will affect our world, the lives of others far, far away and generations yet to be born.
Lord God, we ask you for the strength to put this into action in our lives and in the witness that we give to others. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord.
Amen
Sign of the Cross
I invite you to attend a new initiative created by the Armagh Diocesan Youth Commission (ADYC) called CREDO. CREDO is a Young Adult Conference for adults aged 20 – 35 years.
ADYC has always been developing programmes and events for youth but we realise now in a time of new evangelisation that there is a necessity to meet the needs of our young adults. CREDO will give the opportunity for young adults to seek ways to develop their faith and to meet likeminded Catholics.
ONLINE BOOKING HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/credo-young-adult-conference-tickets-31284554946
Details of the conference are as follows:
Date:
Saturday, 18th February 2017
Time:
10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Vigil Mass 6:00 p.m.)
Venue:
Dromantine Retreat & Conference Centre, Newry
Keynote Speaker:
Sr. Maire McAleer (Sisters of Adoration and Reparation, Falls Road, Belfast)
Workshops include:
Passing on the Faith in Modern World, Rediscovering Your Vocation Through Scripture, Dead to the World- Alive in Christ (inspired by the life of the saints), & Spirituality.
Cost:
Upon arrival/registration to conference venue, we will request a fee to cover refreshments
Promoters of Eucharistic Adoration in the archdiocese met at a diocesan meeting in the Armagh City Hotel on Saturday 28th January. The gathering was facilitated by Brendan Cleary of the National Committee and the gathering of one-hundred delegates discussed how best to organise and promote Eucharistic Adoration in the diocese. The Armagh Diocesan Committee are always happy to help parishes to establish or renew Eucharistic Adoration in their areas.
Archbishop Eamon Martin welcomes Pope Francis’ 2017 World Communications Day message
‘Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time’
Pope Francis has chosen ‘Fear not, for I am with you (Is 43:5): Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time’ as the theme for his message for World Communications Day 2017. The text of the Pope’s message was published on 24 January, the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers, editors and journalists. The 51st World Communications Day will be formally celebrated on Sunday 28 May next – the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – which falls on the Sunday before Pentecost Sunday.
Welcoming this year’s message, Archbishop Eamon Martin, who is chair of the Council for Communications of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said: “I warmly welcome the theme and the tone of Pope Francis’ message for this year’s World Communications Day which focuses on trust, hope, encounter, positivity, and responsibility in communications. Pope Francis introduces his theme by sharing the words from Isaiah ‘Fear not, for I am with you’.
“When I read Pope Francis’ message, I was struck by how timely it is in asking us all to engage in constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice towards others and foster a culture of encounter.
“When I look back at 2016 it seems to have been a year which carried a lot of bad news in the headlines and on the airwaves. In his message Pope Francis says that he is convinced that ‘we have to break the vicious circle of anxiety and stem the spiral of fear resulting from a constant focus on bad news (wars, terrorism, scandals and all sorts of human failure).’ At first glance this would seem to suggest that we should switch off from bad news or ignore the human suffering around us in our world. That is not the case. As a Gospel people we are people of hope. What Pope Francis is inviting us to do is to ‘work at overcoming that feeling of growing discontent and resignation that can at times generate apathy, fear or the idea that evil has no limits. Moreover, in a communications industry which thinks that good news does not sell, and where the tragedy of human suffering and the mystery of evil easily turn into entertainment, there is always the temptation that our consciences can be dulled or slip into pessimism.’
“One of the lines that I was most struck by in the Holy Father’s message is when he asks everyone to ‘offer the people of our time storylines that are at heart good news’. We addressed this issue with Pope Francis when we met him last Friday as part of our Ad Limina visit. The Good News that Pope Francis speaks about in his message is the same ‘Joy of the Gospel’ we spoke to him about last Friday. This message of hope and positivity about conversion and starting over, about forgiveness and reconciliation, about the sacredness of all human life and the wonder of God’s creation, about marriage, family and solidarity, about charity, truth and justice is a message the world needs to hear now more than ever.
“As the bishops of Ireland conclude our Ad Limina in Rome today, we do so in the knowledge that we are emboldened by the Joy of the Gospel and we are more determined than ever to spread this message in and out of season.
“In his message Pope Francis invites us to change the lens through which we view things and to always have hope. He says, ‘Hope is born, a hope accessible to everyone, at the very crossroads where life meets the bitterness of failure.’ Pope Francis also says that ‘Confidence in the seed of God’s Kingdom and in the mystery of Easter should also shape the way we communicate’. This confidence is what enables us to carry out the work we need to do.
“I invite all engaged in communications – professionally or privately on digital media – to take a few minutes to read this message which is refreshing in its tone and relevant in its content. Pope Francis seeks to remind us that good news can sell, and that we can all be beacons in the darkness of this world, shedding light along the way and opening ever new paths of confidence and hope.”
Please find below the full text of this year’s World Communications Day message:
‘Fear not, for I am with you (Is 43:5):
Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time’
Access to the media – thanks to technological progress – makes it possible for countless people to share news instantly and spread it widely. That news may be good or bad, true or false. The early Christians compared the human mind to a constantly grinding millstone; it is up to the miller to determine what it will grind: good wheat or worthless weeds. Our minds are always “grinding”, but it is up to us to choose what to feed them (cf. SAINT JOHN CASSIAN, Epistle to Leontius).
I wish to address this message to all those who, whether in their professional work or personal relationships, are like that mill, daily “grinding out” information with the aim of providing rich fare for those with whom they communicate. I would like to encourage everyone to engage in constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice towards others and foster a culture of encounter, helping all of us to view the world around us with realism and trust.
I am convinced that we have to break the vicious circle of anxiety and stem the spiral of fear resulting from a constant focus on “bad news” (wars, terrorism, scandals and all sorts of human failure). This has nothing to do with spreading misinformation that would ignore the tragedy of human suffering, nor is it about a naive optimism blind to the scandal of evil. Rather, I propose that all of us work at overcoming that feeling of growing discontent and resignation that can at times generate apathy, fear or the idea that evil has no limits. Moreover, in a communications industry which thinks that good news does not sell, and where the tragedy of human suffering and the mystery of evil easily turn into entertainment, there is always the temptation that our consciences can be dulled or slip into pessimism.
I would like, then, to contribute to the search for an open and creative style of communication that never seeks to glamourize evil but instead to concentrate on solutions and to inspire a positive and responsible approach on the part of its recipients. I ask everyone to offer the people of our time storylines that are at heart “good news”.
Good news
Life is not simply a bare succession of events, but a history, a story waiting to be told through the choice of an interpretative lens that can select and gather the most relevant data. In and of itself, reality has no one clear meaning. Everything depends on the way we look at things, on the lens we use to view them. If we change that lens, reality itself appears different. So how can we begin to “read” reality through the right lens?
For us Christians, that lens can only be the good news, beginning with the Good News par excellence: “the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God” (Mk 1:1). With these words, Saint Mark opens his Gospel not by relating “good news” about Jesus, but rather the good news that is Jesus himself. Indeed, reading the pages of his Gospel, we learn that its title corresponds to its content and, above all else, this content is the very person of Jesus.
This good news – Jesus himself – is not good because it has nothing to do with suffering, but rather because suffering itself becomes part of a bigger picture. It is seen as an integral part of Jesus’ love for the Father and for all mankind. In Christ, God has shown his solidarity with every human situation. He has told us that we are not alone, for we have a Father who is constantly mindful of his children. “Fear not, for I am with you” (Is 43:5): these are the comforting words of a God who is immersed in the history of his people. In his beloved Son, this divine promise – “I am with you” – embraces all our weakness, even to dying our death. In Christ, even darkness and death become a point of encounter with Light and Life. Hope is born, a hope accessible to everyone, at the very crossroads where life meets the bitterness of failure. That hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts (cf. Rom 5:5) and makes new life blossom, like a shoot that springs up from the fallen seed. Seen in this light, every new tragedy that occurs in the world’s history can also become a setting for good news, inasmuch as love can find a way to draw near and to raise up sympathetic hearts, resolute faces and hands ready to build anew.
Confidence in the seed of the Kingdom
To introduce his disciples and the crowds to this Gospel mindset and to give them the right “lens” needed to see and embrace the love that dies and rises, Jesus uses parables. He frequently compares the Kingdom of God to a seed that releases its potential for life precisely when it falls to the earth and dies (cf. Mk 4:1-34). This use of images and metaphors to convey the quiet power of the Kingdom does not detract from its importance and urgency; rather, it is a merciful way of making space for the listener to freely accept and appropriate that power. It is also a most effective way to express the immense dignity of the Paschal mystery, leaving it to images, rather than concepts, to communicate the paradoxical beauty of new life in Christ. In that life, hardship and the cross do not obstruct, but bring about God’s salvation; weakness proves stronger than any human power; and failure can be the prelude to the fulfilment of all things in love. This is how hope in the Kingdom of God matures and deepens: it is “as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow” (Mk 4:26-27).
The Kingdom of God is already present in our midst, like a seed that is easily overlooked, yet silently takes root. Those to whom the Holy Spirit grants keen vision can see it blossoming. They do not let themselves be robbed of the joy of the Kingdom by the weeds that spring up all about.
The horizons of the Spirit
Our hope based on the good news which is Jesus himself makes us lift up our eyes to contemplate the Lord in the liturgical celebration of the Ascension. Even though the Lord may now appear more distant, the horizons of hope expand all the more. In Christ, who brings our human nature to heaven, every man and woman can now freely “enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Heb 10:19-20). By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7‑8).
Confidence in the seed of God’s Kingdom and in the mystery of Easter should also shape the way we communicate. This confidence enables us to carry out our work – in all the different ways that communication takes place nowadays – with the conviction that it is possible to recognize and highlight the good news present in every story and in the face of each person.
Those who, in faith, entrust themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit come to realize how God is present and at work in every moment of our lives and history, patiently bringing to pass a history of salvation. Hope is the thread with which this sacred history is woven, and its weaver is none other than the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Hope is the humblest of virtues, for it remains hidden in the recesses of life; yet it is like the yeast that leavens all the dough. We nurture it by reading ever anew the Gospel, “reprinted” in so many editions in the lives of the saints who became icons of God’s love in this world. Today too, the Spirit continues to sow in us a desire for the Kingdom, thanks to all those who, drawing inspiration from the Good News amid the dramatic events of our time, shine like beacons in the darkness of this world, shedding light along the way and opening ever new paths of confidence and hope.
From the Vatican, 24 January 2017
A Athair Ró Naofa, Ba mhaith liom buíochas a gabháil leat as ucht an cuireadh chuig an Suí Naofa agus an fáilte a thug tú dúinn le linn an cuairt seo Ad Limina Apostolorum.
Most Holy Father, Thank you for your invitation to the Holy See for our visit ‘ad limina apostolorum’, and for your warm welcome here today. On behalf of the Irish Episcopal Conference, I offer sincere thanks to you and to those in the dicasteries of the Roman Curia who have engaged with us so positively this week in an open and constructive dialogue.
It is very special for us to have this opportunity to meet and have a discussion with you.
Holy Father, we bring you warm greetings of affection from the Catholic people of Ireland and thank you for the powerful witness you are giving to the world – and especially for your emphasis on mercy for those who are on the peripheries of Church and society.
In Ireland in recent years, despite enormous economic turmoil and hardship, the Irish people have remained generous in the works of mercy towards those who are often overlooked in our fast-paced society – including the poorest and most defenceless. In this regard the Bishops of Ireland continue to promote the dignity of the life of the unborn, as well as that of the elderly, the sick and all who are vulnerable at any stage of their existence.
So much has changed for Church and society in Ireland in the ten years since our last ‘ad limina’ visit in 2006. Since then we have been making determined efforts to safeguard children and vulnerable persons from abuse. I assure you that it remains a priority of the Church in Ireland to acknowledge and learn from the past, and persevere in our efforts to bring healing to all those affected by the sinful and criminal acts of abuse.
Holy Father, your personal outreach to survivors of abuse is an inspiration for us as we continue to travel the path of penitence, reparation, healing and renewal. The publication this morning in Belfast of Sir Anthony Hart’s Report into Historical Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland reminds us that much work remains to be undertaken in this regard.
We thank you for honouring Ireland with the privilege of hosting the Ninth World Meeting of Families in Dublin, August 2018. We look back with joy to June 2012 when the Fiftieth International Eucharistic Congress took place in Ireland, with the theme ‘Communion with Christ and with One Another’. That was a joyful and grace-filled occasion for us.
Like the Eucharistic Congress, we see the World Meeting of Families as much more than a ‘once-off’ event. We look to it, rather, as a graced opportunity, a process by which we can celebrate and explore further the riches of the Church’s ‘Gospel of the Family’. It shall be a catalyst for reflecting on the challenging pastoral manifesto you have set out for the universal church in your post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation ‘Amoris Laetitia’.
We take this opportunity to repeat our invitation to you to visit us in August 2018 – we promise you, as we say in Ireland, ‘céad míle fáilte’ – one hundred thousand welcomes!
The pastoral care of marriage and the family remains a priority for us. In spite of various social changes and challenges, the ethic of family life remains strong in Ireland. As pastors, we meet many different family situations and we admire the high ideals which mothers and fathers have for their children. We also recognise the critical importance of the family to handing on of the faith, to the life of our parishes and as the fundamental building block for a safe and stable society.
We are therefore committed to ensuring that our Catholic centres of education assist parents and families and are places of dialogue and encounter with the ‘Joy of the Gospel’ of Jesus Christ. We continue to hold the view that the presence of Catholic schools enhances, rather than undermines, true diversity and pluralism in the provision of education.
During our ‘ad limina’ visit we have been reflecting on vocations and on the well-being and ministry of our priests and religious. In today’s culture many people struggle to comprehend how anyone can be called to a life of service to God in these ways. We are working on how to help foster a culture of vocation in Ireland, and on how best our seminarians can be adequately formed for service as priests in contemporary Ireland.
The well-being of our priests is dear to all of us bishops. We are aware that declining numbers of priests, their increased workload and ever more challenging pastoral situations has taken its toll on them. We thank God today for their resilience, dedication and generosity, and for the kindness and support of the faithful. We also thank God for the many shoots of new growth and renewal that are emerging in parishes and dioceses all over the country, especially in catechesis, lay involvement and pastoral outreach to the marginalised.
We are happy to have the ongoing fraternal support of the leaders of the other Christian Churches in Ireland. This is particularly important for the nourishment and protection of the ongoing peace process. Things are politically uncertain and delicate these days in Northern Ireland where the Stormont government has collapsed and following the United Kingdom’s referendum decision to leave the European Union. Please pray for us, because we need everyone, including our Church, civic and political leaders, to build bridges of friendship and reconciliation, rather than put up barriers of division and recrimination.
You often remind us that the bonds of solidarity must also be extended to those who arrive among us as refugees and asylum seekers. The Church is rightly concerned about the thousands of men, women and children seeking refuge in Europe. We are proud of the humanitarian efforts of Trócaire, the Catholic Church’s overseas development agency, and the merciful work of the Irish Naval Service which has helped to rescue thousands of refugees from the waters of the Mediterranean.
Holy Father, we realise that the future of the Catholic Church in Ireland is likely to be very unlike our past or even the present. We know that we need to find new ways of ensuring that the voice of faith is heard, because many people in Ireland yearn for a reason to hope. There is so much uncertainty around us – including homelessness, economic hardship, violence on the streets, a lack of purpose in the lives of many of our gifted young people, problems with mental health and the awful spectre of suicide.
The Joy of the Gospel needs to be heard today in Ireland, more than ever. It is a message of hope and positivity about conversion and starting over, about forgiveness and reconciliation, about the sacredness of all human life and the wonder of God’s creation, about marriage, family and solidarity, about charity, truth and justice.
We ask for your prayers, Holy Father, that we can return from our ‘ad limina’ visit emboldened by the Joy of the Gospel and more determined to make it known!
Guímis rath Dé ort agus ar do chuid saothar i gcónaí. We pray success from God on you and on your work always.
The publication today by Sir Anthony Hart of the Report into historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland is a significant moment for survivors and their families. They are uppermost in my thoughts today. Notwithstanding the distressing experience of telling their harrowing stories to the Inquiry, they have shown courage, dignity and perseverance in bringing to light a dark and disturbing chapter in the life of Church and society.
This comprehensive report allows their voices to be heard and vindicated more widely so that all of us can learn the truth, however unpalatable, about what happened in the past and redouble our efforts to ensure such awful things are prevented from occurring again. Sir Anthony Hart approached his task in a balanced and objective manner. He dealt sensitively with those who were called to appear before the Inquiry. He has fulfilled a valuable service to society as a whole. It is now important for all of us to accept his findings as a fair reflection and analysis of how both Church and State failed the most vulnerable members of our society.
I welcome the publication of this Report and I accept its findings. I apologise unreservedly to all those who suffered from their experience in Church-run institutions, and to their loved ones. They have given details for all to see of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Their story is one of anxiety, isolation and pain. I know well that my words are inadequate in attempting to address the enormity of the harshness and brutality which many innocent children experienced. There is never an excuse for the abuse and ill treatment of children or any vulnerable person, in any setting. When the perpetrator is a priest or religious, it is also an appalling betrayal of a sacred trust. I am ashamed and I am truly sorry that such abuse occurred, and that in many cases children and young people felt deprived of love and were left with a deep and lasting suffering.
It is totally understandable that those abused may find it hard to forgive or find reconciliation with the Church. But we in the Church must do everything we can to submit to the demands of justice and demonstrate that we are serious about making reparation for the sins and crimes of the past. I call on all those in positions of leadership within the Catholic dioceses and religious congregations concerned to engage in a constructive and urgent manner with the agencies to be established by the new Executive to take forward this Report’s recommendations. I commit to doing all that I can – and also to encouraging others throughout the Church – to support survivors of abuse today and into the future.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Towards Healing Counselling & Support Services is available to survivors of Church, Religious and Institutional abuse. The Towards Healing director is Mr Michael Lyons and the service provides lay independent and fully accredited counsellors to support survivors. Towards Healing may be contacted by:
The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland provides advice on all aspects of case management, including notification of allegations and support for the complainant. It’s chief executive is Ms Teresa Devlin. If you are concerned about a child or young person or wish to report a child safeguarding suspicion, concern, knowledge or allegation you should contact the statutory authorities. As the Catholic Church in Ireland has a mandatory reporting policy you can also contact the NBSCCCI by:
Towards Peace is a service offering spiritual support to survivors of physical emotional or sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic Church personnel in Ireland. The director of Towards Peace is Ms Una Allen who can be contacted by:
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm 00353 (0) 87 310 4444
“Here at the tomb of Saint Peter, let us pray in a special way to strengthen our brother priests in Ireland. Their ministry and well-being is dear to all of us. We are aware that their smaller numbers, increased workload and ever more
challenging pastoral situations has taken its toll on them. We thank God today for their resilience dedication, and generosity, and for the kindness and support offered to them, and us, by our people and religious” – Archbishop Eamon Martin
Background
Today the Bishops of Ireland begin their ten-day Ad Limina visit to meet with Pope Francis and senior officials of the Holy See. Ahead of their meetings, the bishops will concelebrate Mass this morning at the tomb of Saint Peter in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome. The Principal Celebrant for this Mass is Archbishop Eamon Martin and please see his homily below:
Homily
My dear brother bishops we have arrived at the goal of our pilgrimage “ad limina apostolorum”. Here at the tomb of Saint Peter and surrounded by the tombs of the successors of Peter, there is no better place to enter into a prayer of communion with the one, holy Catholic and apostolic Church.
We gather as bishops, conscious that with all the bishops of the Church, and with the Pope at our head, we form a single “college” which succeeds in every generation the “college” of the Twelve Apostles, with Peter at their head, which Christ instituted as the foundation for the Church. We pray therefore in a special way at this moment for Pope Francis, thanking God for the powerful witness and challenge the Holy Father continues to present us.
We gather as priests to celebrate Eucharist – the ultimate expression and source of our communion with Christ and with one another.
We gather as shepherds, bringing to this place the needs and intentions of our people, religious and priests.
We are conscious of the pressures and struggles which beset our people, the internal struggles that can disrupt harmony, the wolves which sometimes attack the flock, and the weighty responsibility for their care that has been laid on our shoulders.
If it were left to us, of course, we know in our hearts that we would inevitably fail as shepherds – the flock would be scattered, communion shattered.
But it is not left to us. Here at the tomb of Saint Peter there is consolation in the knowledge that the Lord chose Peter – one who could profess his love and faith so powerfully – yet, when the pressure was on, thrice deny the Lord so miserably.
One of the most moving lines in the Gospels for me is in the Gospel of Luke when the Lord predicts Peter’s denial, but assures him: “Peter, I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned back, strengthen my brothers.”
Every year at the Chrism Mass, when we gather with our priests to renew our priestly commitment, there comes a point when we turn to our people and ask them to pray for us, their “priests and bishops, that the Lord may pour out his gifts abundantly upon us and keep us faithful as ministers of Christ, the High Priest.”
As we gather here this morning we know that many of our people, priests and religious back at home are praying for us during thisad limina visit. Their prayer today, and every day, strengthens us, and in turn God pours out on us the graces that we need to strengthen them, our brothers and sisters.
Here at the tomb of Saint Peter, let us pray in a special way to strengthen our brother priests in Ireland. Their ministry and well-being is dear to all of us. We are aware that their smaller numbers, increased workload and ever more challenging pastoral situations has taken its toll on them. We thank God today for their resilience, dedication and generosity, and for the kindness and support offered to them, and us, by our people and religious.
Celebrating here the mystery of the Eucharist we gather all our prayers in communion with the prayers and praise of all humanity in every time and place of history; for we are united here with Christ the High Priest who is really present in the sacrifice at this altar.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once explained to his priests in Rome the significance of the Letter to the Hebrews from which our First Reading is taken these days. He referred to that beautiful prayer in the Roman canon which draws out the links between the high priesthood and sacrifice of Christ and our Eucharist which is offered in a great communion with that of Abel, the first martyr, with his lamb; with Abraham and the lamb sent by God to replace his son Isaac; and, with Melchizedek, High Priest of God Most High with his bread and wine.
This place and moment is therefore truly a place and moment of communion – with Peter and the other successors of the apostles right up to Pope Francis; with each other and with our fellow bishops around the world; with the prayers and needs of our people, religious and priests; but, above all, this is a place and moment of communion with Christ – the “priest for ever”, the “priest like Melchizedek of old”, the “Son who learnt to obey through suffering”, but who is “the source of our salvation”. Amen.
At this critical moment, as my fellow Church leaders have already done this week, I offer a message to our politicians and all who serve in the civil and political sphere.
Consider carefully your responsibility and noble vocation to work for the common good. The premature collapse of our political institutions so soon after the last election is a serious matter for all of us and cannot be taken lightly. The sense I am picking up from people on the ground is that it risks further disillusionment with the political process. We understand that it takes courage and generosity to stand for public office. But it also brings a trusted responsibility for leadership and integrity which can never be taken for granted.
All of us need to have confidence in you – and especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, the poor, those who struggle daily to bring up their families and make ends meet. Your call to public service will sometimes mean making sacrifices, offering compromise and building bridges to overcome barriers as they arise. We have all learned through bitter experience that wrong is never all on one side – too many families among us still grieve the losses, or nurse the wounds of sectarianism and hatred. We do not want that for our children and grandchildren.
Other troubled parts of the world look to us as a sign of hope that peace can be achieved. Continue to work to sustain the painstaking progress which many of you and your predecessors helped to deliver. Help to bring us further along the road to lasting peace, a shared future and prosperity for all. Do not resort to predictable, wearisome slogans or denigrating, divisive language. Like many in the community, the churches are available to assist you in any way. We will certainly pray for you in the coming weeks.
ENDS
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm 00353 (0) 87 310 4444
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