The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has warmly welcomed the announcement today by the Holy Father Pope Francis that he will attend part of the 9th World Meeting of Families which will take place from 21 – 26 August in Dublin on the theme, ‘The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World’.

Pope Francis, who is 81 years of age, will arrive in Dublin on Saturday, 25 August, and will take part in the ‘Festival of Families’ in Croke Park. The Festival of Families is the faith-based cultural concert of the World Meeting of Families six-day programme. The next day, Sunday 26 August, Pope Francis will be the chief celebrant at Holy Mass in the Phoenix Park and this liturgy will bring to a conclusion the World Meeting of Families 2018. Full details of the papal schedule will be released at a later date.

The bishops said, “On behalf of the faithful of Ireland we warmly welcome today’s announcement, by the Holy Father himself, that he plans to visit Dublin in August for the World Meeting of Families. We are deeply honoured that Pope Francis will come to our country to participate in this universal Church celebration of faith and joy, as well as of the contemporary challenges which face families. With great anticipation we also look forward to hearing the apostolic guidance of His Holiness during his stay with us.”

Bishops continued, “Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, as President of the World Meeting of Families 2018, has been charged with undertaking the significant task of organising this global celebration and each of the other 25 dioceses on the island of Ireland is supporting the host diocese to ensure its success for the whole country and for the world. We eagerly await the visit of Pope Francis which no doubt will be an occasion of spiritual renewal for our laity, religious and clergy as well as a strengthening of Christian family life.

“The preparations for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin are benefiting from the 2014 and 2015 Synods of Bishops in Rome which discussed the role of the modern family in the world and how the Church should respond. Both synods were hosted by Pope Francis and were preceded by a worldwide consultation. The subsequent publication by the Holy Father, in April 2016, of his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (the Joy of Love), represents the fruit of these synods as he reflected on the significance of the deep mutual love of spouses and on their love for their children for the good of humanity and for the stability of society.”

Also today in Rome two Irish families presented the official World Meeting of Families 2018 ‘Icon of the Holy Family’ to Pope Francis during his weekly general audience in Saint Peter’s Square. The Tobin family are from Co Kildare and the Bushell family are resident in Rome. The delegation was led by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, President, and Father Timothy Bartlett, Secretary General, of the World Meeting of Families 2018. The group also included the iconographer Mr Mihai Cucu.

Celebrate St Patrick – St Patrick’s RC Cathedral: Saturday 10 March, 8.00pm

Join composer and presenter John Anderson as he conducts a reflective and celebratory event honouring St Patrick. Set in the magnificent St Patrick’s RC Cathedral, choirs from all over the island and further afield will join together in a unique evening of music and spoken word.

An Evening with Patrick – The Market Place Theatre: Wednesday 14 March, 7.30pm

Armagh Cathedrals Partnership hosted a special evening of music, story, poetry and prayer to celebrate St Patrick. The guest speaker was Fr Peter McVerry who is a native of Newry and he has been a Jesuit priest for over forty years. He has worked for most of his life to reduce homelessness and the harm caused by drug misuse and social disadvantage on the streets of Dublin. He founded The Arrupe Charity which is now named The Peter McVerry Trust, which seeks to address homelessness. In 2016, the charity worked with over 4500 vulnerable youths.

Fr Peter is a social activist and he’s a strong activist for those who have no voice in society. He has written widely on issues relating to the homeless and social justice and he has been awarded a number of high profile awards in recognition of his great work. During the evening, he will invite us to reflect on the words of St Patrick in his Confession “I am Patrick…utterly worthless in the eyes of many”.

St Patrick’s Vigil – St Patrick’s Cathedrals: Friday 16 March

The Vigil began at the Church of Ireland Cathedral at 9pm where Archbishop Clarke said a prayer. Visitors will then be led by both Archbishops in torchlight to the Roman Catholic Cathedral where Archbishop Martin will conclude with a prayer. This symbolic expression of the unity of the Churches is a reflection of Patrick’s own journey of uniting the Irish people with Christianity. Light refreshments will be served in The Synod Hall after this event.

https://www.facebook.com/holyfamilymossend/videos/1960964764232628/

As pastors we are aware that the conversation about unborn life is sensitive, delicate and, indeed, painful for many. We offer our reflections with the greatest of respect for everyone while wishing to make some points clearly and unambiguously.

Fundamental right
Every one of us has a right to our life. It is not given to us by the Constitution of Ireland or by any law. We have it ‘as of right’, whether we are wealthy or poor, healthy or sick. All human beings have it. For us as a society to now declare that any category of human being should have that right taken from them would be a shocking step. It effectively says that unborn children do not exist or, if they do, they do not count. That is a manifest injustice.

Life begins at conception
At every point, from conception on, the baby has the potential to realise the fullness of life that God intended. All that is needed is time and nurturing. Today we see more clearly that human life begins at conception. There is no later stage in a baby’s development where we can say; ‘up until now the foetus was not a person and now it has become a baby’.

Are we allowing ourselves to be desensitised?
Making abortion freely available desensitises people to the value of every human life. The scientific evidence about the beginning of human life has never been clearer. It is, therefore, a great irony that we in Ireland are for the first time in our history losing our clarity about the right to life of the unborn. Knowledge about the mysterious workings of DNA and the stunningly vivid evidence of ultrasound images of little persons in the earliest weeks in the womb should be making us more committed than ever to the protection of unborn life.

Choose life
The child in the womb has life and potential. However, like all babies, before birth or in the early years, she or he has no choice. Powerless to defend themselves they rely on the rest of us to protect their lives and vindicate their rights. By using the word ‘choice’ we need to remember that, for the baby waiting to be born, the choice we make can be a matter of life or death.

Two lives, one love
An expectant mother needs and deserves the care and support of everyone around her, particularly if her pregnancy poses a serious crisis for her and her family. A mother may be informed that her baby faces serious challenges or is perhaps terminally ill. She might be pregnant as a result of rape. Especially in those tragic cases both the mother and her unborn child can – and must – be loved and cherished.

A compassionate society will do all in its power to support and love the mother and baby, and encourage responsible support from fathers. This vision of life makes sense to people of all faiths and none. While it is enriched by our Catholic faith, it is our common humanity that convinces us of the right to life of every human being.

A declaration of equality
Article 40.3.3 is a declaration of equality and respect for human life. It represents, at the very foundations and substructure of our laws, a conviction that all human life is worth cherishing equally. To repeal this Article would leave unborn children at the mercy of whatever permissive abortion laws might be introduced in Ireland in the future.

We invite people of faith to pray earnestly that Ireland will “choose life” and that the lives of all women and their unborn children will always be loved, valued, welcomed and respected in this country.

The Spring 2018 General Meeting of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference concluded this afternoon in, Columba Centre, Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. Bishops prayed for those who suffered across the island as a result of the extreme weather conditions over the past week. Bishops paid tribute to the level of community spirit which prevailed in parishes during this difficult time as well as acknowledging the bravery and commitment of the women and men of the emergency services voluntary agencies who assisted those in need.

Yesterday the Bishops’ Conference published Our Common Humanity in support of unborn human life, and members spoke to the media on the statement:
https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2018/03/06/our-common-humanity-statement-on-the-second-day-of-the-spring-2018-general-meeting-of-the-irish-catholic-bishops-conference/

The following issues were also discussed by the bishops during their three-day meeting:
• Child safeguarding in the Catholic Church
• Prayer for the protection of life from the moment of conception until natural death
• Update on preparations for the World Meeting of Families 2018
• Trócaire’s 2018 Lenten Campaign on humanitarian crises around the world
• Saint Patrick’s Day, Saturday 17 March
• Lent and preparation for Easter

• Child safeguarding in the Catholic Church
Bishops met with Mr John Morgan and Ms Teresa Devlin, the chair and CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Irrespective of improved standards, vigilance and greater awareness, bishops agreed that the Church can never become complacent concerning the safeguarding of children. Bishops reflected on the immense suffering caused to children and vulnerable persons by abuse. They emphasised the shared responsibilities of Church and statutory authorities for prompt reporting, robust risk assessment, concrete action to prevent further abuse, and meaningful outreach to victims in support of the healing process and to assist their search for justice. Bishops reiterated their commitment to both the review process of dioceses undertaken by the National Board and their full cooperation with any inquiry required by statutory bodies.

• Prayer for the protection of life from the moment of conception until natural death
Bishops encouraged the faithful to participate in two upcoming weekends which they announced would be dedicated to the prayerful support for the protection of life from the moment of conception until natural death.

The first takes place this weekend, 10 and 11 March, as dioceses throughout the country will participate in the ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative of Pope Francis so as to experience the Lord’s loving mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to find opportunities for prayer. 24 hours of continuous Confession will be provided in designated churches and details will be available on diocesan websites. Sunday 11 March is Mothers’ Day and bishops encouraged the celebration of mothers and motherhood in Ireland through prayer and action.

Bishops offered their support to the ‘Savethe8th’ rally which will take place in Dublin on Saturday, 10 March.

The second weekend of prayer will take place across the country on 8 April, Divine Mercy Sunday, and also on Monday 9 April, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord.

The www.chooselife2018.ie website has been updated to offer visual and text resources to assist parishes in promoting the sanctity of human life. It hosts issues of the weekly Choose Life newsletter.

Supreme Court judgement
Noting today’s decision of the Supreme Court, the bishops commended to the faithful their pastoral message, Our Common Humanity, which was published yesterday, 6 March. In particular:
“Every one of us has a right to our life. It is not given to us by the Constitution of Ireland or by any law. We have it ‘as of right’, whether we are wealthy or poor, healthy or sick. All human beings have it. For us as a society to now declare that any category of human being should have that right taken from them would be a shocking step. It effectively says that unborn children do not exist or, if they do, they do not count. That is a manifest injustice.”

• Update on preparations for the World Meeting of Families 2018
With six months to go until the 9th World Meeting of Families begins in Dublin, Father Timothy Bartlett, secretary general of WMOF2018, updated the bishops on the ongoing preparations for this universal celebration of families and faith which will take place from 21 – 26 August on the theme: ‘The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World’.

Father Bartlett highlighted the release of the three-day preliminary programme for the Pastoral Congress of the WMOF. This will take place in the RDS during the first three full days of WMOF, from 22 to 24 August. Bishops were also updated on the need for more volunteers, that over 5,500 pilgrims have registered from 64 countries and on the continuing requirement for host families in the greater Dublin area for our visiting pilgrims from abroad.

Some of those confirmed for the Pastoral Congress include: Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, India; Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark; Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life; and Cardinal Seán O’Malley OFM Cap, Archbishop of Boston. The panel discussions at the Congress will include parents, priests and religious, and various specialist speakers and they will cover themes such as the effect of technology on family life, the witness of women in leadership, Pope Francis on the vocation of fatherhood; the joys and challenges of parenting, supporting newly married couples in the parish, families and parish supporting families with special needs; and, dignity and safety in the digital age. All of the themes chosen for workshops and panel sessions relate to topics discussed by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation of 2016, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love).

To book tickets to attend the Pastoral Congress in the RDS, the Festival of Families, and for the closing Mass of the WMOF, please register on www.worldmeeting2018.ie

• Saint Patrick’s Day and asylum seekers
As we approach 17 March, bishops prayed through the intercession of our national patron, Saint Patrick, for the faith and well-being of Irish people everywhere around the world.

Saint Patrick, himself a migrant, was called to serve and bring God to a people far from his home. Bishops encouraged the faithful to pray for migrants, and all who struggle to live and integrate into new cultures, at home and abroad, arising from displacement and poverty. As Saint Patrick’s Day is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics in Ireland, the best way to remember our saint is to attend Mass.

Direct Provision Centres
Following last month’s decision by the Supreme Court that the ban on the employment of asylum seekers was unconstitutional, bishops look forward, with a keen interest, to a change in the Government’s commitment to allow those in direct provision centres to work – irrespective of their current qualifications – and thereby acknowledge their God-given gifts and human dignity.

• Trócaire’s 2018 Lenten Campaign on humanitarian crises around the world
The keynote speaker for the 2018 Trócaire annual lecture was David Donoghue, the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations in New York, who spoke in Maynooth yesterday on the theme, ‘Leaving no one behind: can the promise be fulfilled?’ In this talk Mr Donoghue reflected on the Sustainable Development Goals of 2015 which marked an historic agreement by 196 countries to end poverty and put the world on a path to sustainable development. He also analysed the changing global context and whether the commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ can be achieved.

This year’s Trócaire Lenten campaign highlights the story of Kumba, a seven-year-old girl from Sierra Leone who six months ago narrowly survived a mudslide. Over 1,000 people in her community lost their lives in the space of just four minutes when the mudslide hit after heavy rains. Kumba and her family escaped unharmed but their home was destroyed, along with all their belongings. The campaign focuses on the growing number of people being affected by humanitarian crises around the world. From those displaced by violence to families facing threats from climate change and natural disasters, Trócaire’s work is increasingly focused on supporting people who have been forced from their homes.

Bishops expressed their deep gratitude to families, schools and parishes, all over Ireland, for their generosity towards last year’s Lenten appeal which raised €8.5m, an increase of €1.1m on 2016. The money raised each Lent allows Trócaire to support over two million people in the developing world and bishops asked people to give generously again to this year’s Trócaire Lenten campaign.

• Lent and preparation for Easter
As we journey through the season of Lent let us remember “God never tires of forgiving us” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium The Joy of the Gospel). The call to renewal in our Christian life is a central part of our preparation for Easter and bishops ask the faithful to offer up their fasting, prayer, reading of Scripture and works of mercy during Lent for the grace of spiritual renewal.

As part of our Lenten journey the faithful are encouraged to participate in the ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ prayer initiative in their diocese and to read Pope Francis’ message for Lent 2018 on the theme Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold (Mt 24: 12). The message is available with additional online resources on www.catholicbishops.ie.

This year’s #LiveLent social media initiative involves short suggestions shared on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram based on the theme of the Holy Father’s Lenten message.

“God comes silently and discretely without imposing on our freedom” Pope Francis

We’re now in the season of Lent, a time when each one of us endeavours to commit more fully to our faith, to strengthen our personal relationship with God. In light of this, Armagh Diocesan Vocations Commission wishes to suggest some simple yet effective ways to do this, while helping us to promote a much needed and enhanced response to Vocations to Priesthood in our diocese, given the current situation.

One of the greatest assets we have had over many years has been the generous and unselfish willingness of so many men to answer the call to priesthood. For many reasons, this flow has dwindled somewhat in the 21st century. It would be a sad and worrying thing if we were ever to be left without the comfort of the great gift of the Eucharist and the celebration of the Sacraments.

“A shortage of priests jeopardises the life of faith for Catholics who no longer have a priest to minister to them”

So If you are a person still wondering about what you might ‘do’ for Lent, and even if you already have a Lenten plan, go to a quiet place where thoughtfully and with a listening ear, you can consider if you might be able to help influence this decline in vocations using some of the strategies offered below, particularly in light of this special year of the World Meeting of Families:

• Offer family prayer for Vocations to Priesthood
• Pray as a parish that at least one young man in your parish may answer The Call
• Offer up a particular Lenten fast/activity to help alleviate the crisis
• Discuss Vocation within family/prayer groups/school groups/parish groups/youth groups
• Encourage people to consider Vocation to the Priesthood
• Suggest ideas within parish to promote Vocations
• Pray for the priests you already know, that the Holy Spirit may work in them and bring them peace and comfort on difficult days.

Perhaps while you are doing these things, you will find time to listen for, to hear and to respond to that call to serve which may be meant especially for you.

Pope Francis reminds us that: “Vocation is today! The Christian Mission is now!”

(More resources and ideas can be found at www.armaghpriest.com)

24 Hours for the Lord 2018

Friday – Saturday : 9th – 10th March

From Pope Francis’ Lenten Message for 2018:
“One such moment of grace will be, again this year, the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative, which invites the entire Church community to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation in the context of Eucharistic adoration.  In 2018, inspired by the words of Psalm 130:4, “With you is forgiveness”, this will take place from Friday, 9 March to Saturday, 10 March.”

The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation, suggest that the proceedings could conclude with the celebration of the Saturday Vigil Mass for Sunday. The season of Lent is a time of repentance and of personal conversion and it is hoped that this event may help place the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the centre of the Church’s mission for the new evangelisation.