PRESS RELEASE
7 September 2010
2,000 take part in Archdiocese Pilgrimage to Lourdes Almost 2,000 people are leaving Dublin for Lourdes today (Tuesday 7th) to take part in the 61st Pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Dublin which runs until Sunday.

The annual September pilgrimage is one of the biggest events in the Dublin Diocesan calendar and is led by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, with priests of the Diocese and hundreds of volunteers.

Nearly 180 sick pilgrims are taking part this year, supported by over 500 volunteers, made up of nurses and doctors, male and female helpers, known as handmaids and brancardiers, and a team of chaplains.

A further 200 young people also assist in the care of the sick pilgrims and many of these are from secondary schools and colleges from around the Diocese. The balance of the pilgrimage is made up of Parish Groups and individuals from every corner of the Diocese.

Crosscare, the social care agency of the Diocese will once again be sending representatives to Lourdes along with the Diocesan Office for Evangelisation. Music for the pilgrimage will be led by the Dublin Lourdes choir.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said was an important annual event in the life of the Archdiocese of Dublin. He said it was a moment of prayer and the sick who travel are the centre of the pilgrimage and “the centre of our prayers”.

Pilgrimage Director, Fr. John Gilligan said that the spirit of the Lourdes pilgrimage continued to resonate with all those who travel, and those praying for the sick and volunteers at home. “Lourdes remains a special place of Pilgrimage for our Diocese. All of us who participate, in whatever small way, are humbled and enlightened by the spirit of solidarity of the pilgrimage,” said Fr. Gilligan. “Every year, I am heartened by the huge level of commitment made by so many people who make the pilgrimage a success; but I think all who take part would agree that they come away from the experience enriched in themselves.”

The theme for this years pilgrimage is “with Bernadette we make the sign of the cross” All those taking part in this years Dublin pilgrimage will receive a special “Cross for the pocket” to mark and remember their time there. ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Updates and homilies from the pilgrimage will be available this week on www.dublindiocese.ie
• Further information on the Lourdes Pilgrimage at www.lourdes.dublindiocese.ie
• Photos of the first groups of pilgrims leaving Dublin airport for Lourdes this morning are available from John Mc Elroy photos, tel: 087 2416985

Further information:
Communications Office 01-8360723, email communications@dublindiocese.ie,  web www.dublindiocese.ie

PRESS RELEASE
7 September 2010
Homily of Bishop John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore, for the funeral Mass of Francis Gerard Brooks, retired Bishop of Dromore Bishop Brooks' life was touched often by the Troubles; the violence and suffering of many people in the diocese in those years affected him deeply. The discouragement of those years weighed heavily upon him. - Bishop John McAreavey

The death of a loved one brings us to what the Gospel today calls ‘a lonely place’.  It reminds us of our own mortality and forces us to confront realities that normally we choose to evade. When a loved one dies, we have to face a future without them. At the same time, the death of a person provides us with the opportunity to reflect on their life. In the case of Fr Gerard, as his family and friends knew him, this leads us to reflect on the vocation that led him to serve God as a priest and Bishop. The call of Jeremiah – recounted in the First Reading – reminds us that the mystery of every vocation begins in the mind of God:

The Word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you. I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.

The Word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you. I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah protests:

Ah Lord, look; I do not know how to speak: I am a child.

Ah Lord, look; I do not know how to speak: I am a child.

God reassures him:

Do not say, ‘I am a child’. Go now to those to whom I send you.
Do not be afraid of them
For I am with you to protect you –
It is the Lord who speaks!

The prophet then recalls: The Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘there! I am putting my words into your mouth’.

Fr Gerard, like Jeremiah, had many obstacles in his young life that might have led him to feel that God’s call was too demanding for him: as a child he contracted polio; when he was 11 his father died and three years later he lost his mother; as a result, he moved, with his brother and sister, from Rathfriland to Barr – to the home of their aunt, Mrs Larkin. Mrs Larkin raised the three Brooks children and looked after them with great devotion. She was present in Maynooth on 19th June 1949 when Fr Gerard was ordained a priest in 1949. After ordination he did post-graduate studies for three years and completed these studies with a further year in Rome (1952-3).
On his return from Rome he lived the rest of his life in a very small geographical radius: he spent 23 years on the staff of St Colman’s College; he moved to Bishop’s House in 1976 and remained there for another 23 years until 1999, when he retired and returned to Drumiller. In the eleven years of retirement he lived peacefully surrounded by the support and affection of his family. He continued to take an active interest in many areas of local and Church life until his death.
Reflecting on his life as Bishop (or ‘elder’), St Paul, says:

I am an elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and with you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed.

Fr Gerard was indeed a witness to the sufferings of Christ. When he celebrated Mass he prayed: ‘Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation …’ The spirituality of his generation concentrated strongly on the death of Christ and on the call of the baptised to offer their lives in union with the death of Christ. This was a constant theme in his preaching.

Like St Paul, he carried in his own flesh a reminder of the sufferings of Christ. Particularly in his final years as Bishop and in his retirement, he experienced intense pain that is associated with polio. While he did not refer to this during most of his life, he began in his latter years to talk openly about that pain and discomfort.

As a Bishop from 1976 till 1999, his life was touched often by the Troubles; the violence and suffering of many people in the diocese in those years affected him deeply. The discouragement of those years weighed heavily upon him.

In more recent times I know that that problems that face the Church today were a cause of suffering for him.
In the Second Reading today St Paul says: ‘When the chief Shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory’. This reminds us that there is only one Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ; those ordained to serve God’s people are the visible representatives of that Good Shepherd; they serve in His name; they preach His word; they show His compassion and care. Do they fall short of the qualities of the Good Shepherd? Nothing is more certain. However we pray today that when the chief Shepherd appears, he will indeed give Bishop Brooks ‘the crown of unfading glory’.

It is hard to sum up a lifetime’s ministry of a priest or Bishop. However I wish to highlight some of the main preoccupations of Bishop Brooks. When he became Bishop in 1976, just a decade after the Second Vatican Council, many of the changes of the Council still had to be implemented. One of the developments he promoted was the appointment of laywomen and men as Readers and as Eucharistic Ministers.

As a man who spent many years teaching in a Catholic school, he was deeply interested in Catholic education; he was involved in setting up CCMS in 1989 and he was concerned with many other issues that affected Catholic education over the years.

Along with the late Fr Mattie O’Hare, he was involved in the setting up of CMAC – now ACCORD – in Newry.
He was deeply committed to the work of Trócaire. The fact that the people of this diocese were consistently the most generous in the country is due at least in part to his support for Trócaire and his encouragement of it in the parishes and schools of the diocese.

He was a committed supporter of the annual Dromore pilgrimage to Lourdes. In retirement he joined the sick of the diocese on that pilgrimage, finally dropping out just two years ago when the challenge of travel was too much for him.
He was a consistent supporter of the work of the South Down Ecumenical Clergy Fellowship, some of whose members are present here today.
A major tangible achievement was the refurbishment of this Cathedral that was completed in 1990. It is a tribute to Bishop Brooks that this work was done in a way that the people of Newry and the people of the diocese accept and admire.

Bishop Brooks was a member of the Irish Bishops Conference and in that forum played an active role, particularly in the area of finance. A bishop who worked alongside him wrote to me, ‘he was a fine bishop, a good colleague and an extraordinary servant of the [Bishops’] Conference’.
In today’s Gospel we find Jesus welcoming the people, preaching to them ‘about the kingdom of God’ and curing those who were in need of healing. When the problem emerged of how to feed and lodge the people, the Twelve were of a mind to send them away for, they said, ‘we are in a lonely place here’. Despite the meagre resources, Jesus turns the moment of crisis into a moment of miraculous blessing. The Twelve are aware of what they have not; Jesus reminds them about what they have:

Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to the disciples to distribute them among the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.

Today the Church finds itself ‘up against it’, despairing, aware of its profound limitations and failures, unsure where to turn, the Risen Lord invites us to turn to Him with confidence and humility. The Church has always seen this Gospel story of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish as recalling the action of Jesus in the Eucharist; Jesus reminds the Twelve that in the process of nourishing the people, he too will end up like the broken pieces that are left over. The brokenness of Jesus still lies before him: in his arrest, trial and crucifixion. But it led to his resurrection, to new life and new hope. Today we pray that the brokenness of the Church will, in God’s providence, lead us to new life, new hope, new vision for God’s people.
We pray that God who called Gerard Brooks to be a disciple in baptism and as a servant in ordination, will now welcome him to the place he has prepared for him in heaven in the company of his parents, his sister, his sister-in-law and all the saints who have gone before him.
ENDS

Notes to Editors:
Biography of Bishop Francis Gerard Brooks

• Born 14 January 1924, one of three children of Bernard and Mary Elizabeth.
• Baptised 15 January 1924 in Newry Cathedral.
• Attends National School in Rathfriland.
• Confirmed 22 April 1934 in Barnmeen Church, Drumgath Parish.
• Receives his early secondary education in Newry, first at the Abbey Christian Brothers' School, then at Saint Colman's College, where eventually he is appointed Head Prefect.
• Enters St. Patrick's College, Maynooth to begin his studies for the priesthood - Autumn 1942.
• Graduates Bachelor of Science – 1945.
• Graduates Bachelor of Divinity - 1948.
• Ordained Priest 19 June 1949.
• Pursues post-graduate studies in Rome, achieving his Doctorate of Canon Law in June 1952.
• Appointed in the autumn of 1953 to the staff of St. Colman's College to teach Science, Geography and Mathematics.
• Appointed as College President in 1972 and created a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter.
• Ordained Bishop of Dromore 25 January 1976.
• Retires as Bishop of Dromore with the elevation of Bishop John McAreavey 19 September 1999.
• Died 4 September 2010.

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678
Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE
6 September 2010
Cardinal Seán Brady's tribute to the late Bishop Francis Gerard Brooks, Bishop Emeritus of Dromore I first came to know Bishop Francis Gerard Brooks around 1975.  He was then President of St Colman’s College, Newry – where his many fine administrative qualities served him admirably.  He had earlier been appointed President by Bishop Eugene O’Doherty after many years of dedicated teaching.  

I always found Bishop Brooks to be a very cordial and warm person.  He was kind and interested in people’s stories and history.  He was also an engaging person who loved to meet people with links to the Diocese of Dromore.

An avid reader, on a variety of subjects, he had a particular interest in the history of his own diocese.  

Bishop Brooks loved his vocation as a priest.  This was never more apparent than when he was celebrating the Eucharist and preaching the Word of God.  He believed firmly in the power of prayer.

Bishop Brooks had a great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and he enjoyed leading the Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.  There he would spend a lot of time with the sick and the assisted pilgrims.  Two years ago he made his last pilgrimage to Lourdes which he really enjoyed despite his failing health.  In fact, ministering to the sick was an outstanding part of Bishop Brooks’ ministry.  He gave great emphasis to the care of the sick – it was very much a feature of his preaching, especially at priestly ordinations.

Bishop Brooks worked for many years as Chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee of the Irish Episcopal Conference up to his retirement in 1999.  In this capacity he was a diligent and conscientious servant of the Conference.  His excellent understanding of finance and administration was a valuable asset in the efficient functioning of the Conference.  He oversaw the transfer of the staff and offices of the agencies and commissions of the Conference to Maynooth and he did so with grace and sensitivity.

Bishop Brooks was very close to his brother, Brian with whom he lived after retirement.  He was very dedicated also to his nephews and nieces who cared for him with wonderful devotion and attention and to them and his extended family, I offer my sympathy.

May his soul, and the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Cardinal Seán Brady is Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.  Bishop Francis Gerard Brooks, Bishop Emeritus of Dromore, was born on 14 January 1924 and died on 4 September 2010.  The funeral Mass takes place in the Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Colman, Newry, tomorrow, Tuesday 7 September at 12 midday. Interment afterwards in St Mary's Cemetery, Newry.  Bishop John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore, will be main celebrant at the funeral Mass of Bishop Brooks.

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications (00 353 86 172 7678)

PRESS RELEASE 6 September 2010 Publication of Pope Benedict XVI's Message for the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid (16 - 21 August) Theme: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7) The text of Pope Benedict XVI's message for the 26th World Youth Day, which will take place in Madrid from 16 - 21 August 2011, has been published. The theme of the message is Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith.  

In his message Pope Benedict reflects on his youth and his path to priesthood. He also reflects on the last World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. He encourages young people to reflect and to seek for something beyond everyday life: "There is a moment, when we are young, when each of us wonders: what meaning does my life have? What purpose and direction should I give to it? This is a very important moment, and it can worry us, perhaps for some time. We start wondering about the kind of work we should take up, the kind of relationships we should establish, the friendships we should cultivate... Here, once more, I think of my own youth. I was somehow aware quite early on that the Lord wanted me to be a priest. Then later, after the war, when I was in the seminary and at university on the way towards that goal, I had to recapture that certainty. I had to ask myself: is this really the path I was meant to take? Is this really God’s will for me? Will I be able to remain faithful to him and completely at his service? A decision like this demands a certain struggle. It cannot be otherwise. But then came the certainty: this is the right thing! Yes, the Lord wants me, and he will give me strength. If I listen to him and walk with him, I become truly myself. What counts is not the fulfilment of my desires, but of his will. In this way life becomes authentic."

Pope Benedict also comments on the need for young people to strengthen their faith: "Even though the set of values underpinning society comes from the Gospel – values like the sense of the dignity of the person, of solidarity, of work and of the family –, we see a certain “eclipse of God” taking place, a kind of amnesia which, albeit not an outright rejection of Christianity, is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that could lead to the loss of our deepest identity. For this reason, dear friends, I encourage you to strengthen your faith in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are the future of society and of the Church!"

The full text of Pope Benedict's Message is available at the following link: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/youth/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20100806_youth_en.html
Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications (086 172 7678)
Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer (087 233 7797)

PRESS RELEASE
3 September 2010
Archbishop Martin celebrates dedication of new altar with Poor Clares in Dublin

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin this afternoon (Friday) celebrated Mass and the dedication of a new altar and reordering of the Church of St. Damian of the Poor Clare Colettines.  

The small church in Ballsbridge, in the grounds of the enclosed community of the Poor Clare sisters, is a central feature in the lives of many people in the locality, especially for daily Mass.

There are currently 10 sisters living a life of prayer and penance in the Ballsbridge convent. In his homily this afternoon Archbishop Martin said we are all in indebted to the Poor Clares, not just for the prayerful support we have received from them on individual occasions, but for their unique and vital witness in our time, of the presence of God in our midst.

The Church of Saint Damian will be used as an adoration chapel in June 2012 during the International Eucharistic Congress.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Photos will be available later today from John Mc Elroy Photos (087 -2416985)
• Further information on the Poor Clares, Ballsbridge at  www.pccdamians.ie
• Full text of Archbishop Martin’s Homily is also available at www.dublindiocese.ie
• Further information on the International Eucharistic Congress at www.iec2012.ie

Further information: Communications Office 01 -8360723, email communications@dublindiocese.ie,  web www.dublindiocese.ie

PRESS RELEASE 30 August 2010 Bishop Edward Daly's Irish News opinion article on the NI Police Ombudsman's report into the 1972 Claudy bombing

I retired from public life 17 years ago but recently have felt obliged to come out of retirement temporarily to deal with media demands arising out of the Saville Report and, now, the Police Ombudsman’s Report on the Claudy Bombings.

As a curate and bishop in Derry during some of the worst episodes of the ‘Troubles’ I got to know many journalists who came to report on many sensitive issues.

I see a less challenging style of journalism at work now. Maybe it is just that many of the reporters have no experience of the exacting pressures that their professional predecessors faced as they foraged for truth here in the 1970s.

Journalists then soared above the pressures of spin from government and combatants on all sides. They had exacting standards as they scrutinised and recorded controversial events. They asked awkward questions. Papers and broadcast networks took independent lines on stories.  They did not sheepishly follow Establishment or State.  In contrast, I find media coverage of the Claudy Report very disquieting.  Media have not questioned key aspects of the Ombudsman’s Report in relation to allegations that Fr James Chesney was a senior IRA figure directly linked to the bombings.

Everyone takes the same unquestioning line and competes to write the most lurid headline. The once sacrosanct presumption of innocence has been dispensed with and replaced with a presumption of guilt.  I am not at all convinced that Father Chesney was involved in the Claudy bombings. I may be mistaken, but I do not think so.  I was a contemporary of his at school.  I did not know him very well but knew him reasonably well.

Personal involvement in several major miscarriage of justice cases, for example the Birmingham Six, has bred in me constructive scepticism. I have seen convictions based on signed admissions and forensic evidence completely overturned years later.  Fr Chesney was never arrested, questioned, charged or convicted.  He cannot answer for himself.  He has been dead 30 years.

The Report aired suspicions about him that were based solely on intelligence reports.  But intelligence and evidence are completely different things.  Why was the Ombudsman unable to find evidence against him after years of investigation?  He found only these ‘intelligence reports’, and 1972-type RUC intelligence at that.

In the 1970s there was widespread scepticism about RUC Special Branch intelligence.  Hundreds were interned on such intelligence.

Now, media portray as fact unsubstantiated claims emanating from agencies whose history is anything but clean.  Where have all the campaigners for justice gone?  The Claudy dead and wounded and their relatives deserve both truth and justice.  They were victims of evil acts of violence.  They were also cruelly deceived by senior RUC figures and the Northern Ireland Secretary in the failure to ensure that the bombing was thoroughly investigated.

If police suspected Fr Chesney in the atrocity, they should have arrested him rather than closing the case, thus allowing all the perpetrators to go free.  Can anyone believe that just because ‘Man A’, whom the RUC suspected of involvement in major horrendous terrorist crime, gave another major suspect (Fr Chesney) in the same crime as an alibi, that police could allow them both walk free?

How did security forces became so coy whenever Fr Chesney came on their radar – even when they alleged that a dog detected explosives in his car?  That was not my experience in South Derry then, when I was often terrified and humiliated by the treatment and delays I experienced at security force checkpoints as I returned from Confirmations and other pastoral duties late at night.

Other aspects of the Report are strange.  For example, an NIO note of 6 December 1972 attributes to Cardinal Conway an uncorroborated description of Fr Chesney as being “a very bad man” – a very mild commentary on someone alleged to be a mass murderer.  I knew Cardinal Conway quite well during 1974-77.  That was not a phrase he would use.  It appears to me it was Northern Ireland Secretary William Whitelaw’s version of what the cardinal did or did not say.  Does anyone sincerely believe that if Cardinal Conway and my predecessor Bishop Farren believed a mass murderer was in the Church’s ranks they would have permitted him to continue in the active priesthood?  I cannot believe they would have omitted to tell me when I was appointed as Bishop of Derry in 1974 if they had for a moment believed one of the priests in my future diocese was a mass murderer.

Mass murder cannot be compared with any other sin or crime.  It is the foulest and most obscene of deeds.  I witnessed mass murder at first hand in 1972.   I am more aware than most of how appalling and grotesque it is and the enormity of it.  It is a huge insult to suggest I would knowingly allow someone whom I knew to be a mass murderer to serve as a priest in my diocese.  I do not accept theories – voiced by several people in the aftermath of the Report - about priests being endangered and a possible subsequent fall-out in society if Fr Chesney had been arrested.

Two priests were murdered by the British Army in Belfast just months earlier that year and there wasn’t exactly community uproar.  Did anyone believe the mere arrest of an obscure priest in County Derry would worsen the already chaotic N. Ireland climate?  Northern Ireland was a war zone in 1972.  Some 500 people were killed.

I do not accept the Ombudsman’s suggestion to reporters that Fr Chesney continued his republican activities when he was in Donegal.  As bishop at that time,  I was aware of his previous espousal of views, and he knew I was having him observed.  There was a never a complaint about him. I believe it possible that the RUC wanted Fr Chesney out of South Derry because of his publicly proclaimed republican sympathies and a fear of the influence these might exert on young people in the area.

The IRA was seeking recruits and Fr Chesney’s public views were seen, perhaps rightly, as dangerous.  Police wanted him out of a potential powder keg and used William Whitelaw to persuade Cardinal Conway into facilitating this. Of course it would have been preferable if the cardinal had told Whitelaw “to get lost” and to arrest Fr Chesney if there was evidence.  I can reach that conclusion in the comparatively peaceful climate of today. Thank God I was not in the cardinal’s position in the mayhem of 1972.

Perhaps Fr Chesney’s conduct did spark suspicion that he was involved with the IRA.  The pertinent questions must be, however; was he or was he not a member of the IRA and, if so, was he involved in the Claudy bombing?  I don’t know.  The Ombudsman’s report and the subsequent media reporting do not offer any evidence to help answer these questions.

Claudy has at last received its legitimate and long overdue recognition as one of Northern Ireland’s the most despicable acts of terror. I will continue to pray “the truth will out”.  The families, the community and Fr Chesney’s relatives need to hear it.  I hope the Claudy families launch a campaign that achieves justice and truth.  I hope that clergy will continue to offer pastoral and spiritual support.  I am pleased to hear that the Bloody Sunday families, with all their years of expertise, have offered to assist the Claudy families.

I hope journalists will assist them, too.

I now plan to return once more to private life.  I hope that justice will finally be done to the dead of Claudy as well as the dead of Bloody Sunday.

ENDS

Bishop Edward Daly was Bishop of Derry from 1974 to 1993.  Bishop Daly's opinion article was published in today's Irish News. The Public statement by the Police Ombudsman under Section 62 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 Relating to the RUC investigation of the alleged involvement of the late Father James Chesney in the bombing of Claudy on 31 July 1972 was published on 24 August 2010.

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE
24 August 2010

Address of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin at the "Popoli" meeting, Rimini JOHN HENRY NEWMAN – FAITH AND REASON The Ireland of Newman – the Ireland of today

The forthcoming beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman is an opportunity for me as Archbishop of Dublin and for the Catholic community in Dublin, to reflect not only on the period and the work of Newman in Dublin, but also on the lessons which we can learn for Irish Catholicism today from Newman's thought and activity.

Newman was invited to be rector of the Catholic university of Ireland by my predecessor, Cardinal Paul Cullen. Cullen was — from the time when he was rector of the Irish College in Rome — an enthusiastic supporter of the idea of a Catholic university of Ireland, modelled on the University of Louvain. Subsequently, he became Archbishop of Armagh and then Archbishop of Dublin, and was the real leader of the project to establish a Catholic university in Ireland. Not all his brother bishops were as committed as he. Some of those who called themselves supporters were less active when it came down to getting the financial resources urgently needed for the project to be carried out..

Maybe Ireland was not ready for Newman’s university. The predecessor of Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop Daniel Murray was one of the few bishops strongly opposed to the Catholic university project because he considered it unfeasible. Murray regarded — with less difficulty than his brother bishops and Rome itself —the British Government’s project, that Catholics could attend the Queen's colleges, state universities which Cullen considered "godless colleges".

Newman’s university was not exactly a success. The number of university students was very small. His degrees were not recognised. The British authorities were not prepared to approve licenses granted by private establishments. There was a shortage of Irish Catholics with a university education capable of becoming lecturers. Only a few Irish students, and some English, attended the university until its degrees in medicine were finally approved, but for a short period.

After the establishment of the university and Newman’s installation there, the Irish bishops were even more divided. Archbishop MacHale continually put obstacles in Newman’s path. It is interesting to note that the Irish bishops have a long history of a lack of unity, despite Rome’s attempts to impose it. On the question of the Catholic university, Archbishop Murray of Dublin, recognised by all as a saintly person, had no difficulty in publicly disagreeing with the decisions of Rome or, at least, in interpreting the decisions of Rome in a very personalised manner.

Although Cullen was a strong supporter both of the university and of Newman, he was a complex figure and frequently left Newman waiting for answers to urgent questions which had been asked of him. The personal rapport between Newman and Cullen was difficult. For his part, Newman was not a good administrator and was continually absent from Dublin — often on Oratory business in Birmingham — even at crucial moments for the university. In November 1858, Newman resigned his position as rector.

It should be noted that the university project was launched in a dramatic moment in the history of Ireland. Ireland had suffered a traumatic period because of the Famine which had lasted three full years, and effectively had continued in the fifties of the nineteenth century, the period when the creation of the university was proposed. The Great Famine was one of the major world catastrophes of the nineteenth century and became a veritable watershed in the history of Ireland. Its effects changed forever the demographic landscape of Ireland, with consequences for its social and political structure. For most nineteenth century, Irish Catholics food and survival had priority over the issue of education.

It is hard for us today to imagine the immense trauma which almost all families in Ireland endured for generations after the Great Famine. In the middle of the nineteenth century, famine was not something out of the history books, but an experience lived by the greater part of the population. The country's population decreased drastically. The number of emigrants rose to 250,000 in a single year. Millions of young people full of hope died or were forced to emigrate. Inevitably, the sense of loss in families lasted for generations. The fear that this could happen again must have persecuted those who had passed through this devastating experience for the rest of their lives.

This was the climate in which Newman was appointed rector in November 1851. Three more years of indecision were to pass before the doors of the university were opened. However, in 1852, he wrote his publication “Idea of a University”. It was not only a work on the concept of university or the value of a liberal education, but also on the relationship between reason and faith.

In presenting the nature of his university, Newman tried to sensitise the authorities of Church and State in Ireland, as well as the general public on the importance which the development of intellectual life had for the welfare of both individuals and of the Catholic Church.

This had to be stated in a cultural climate in which, on the one hand certain versions of free thinking challenged the very foundations of revelation, and on the other hand, there was a religious climate which was suspicious of free thought. In the Catholic university Gazette of 9 February 1855, Newman quotes from an earlier speech: "One of the greatest disasters of modern times is the separation between religion and science, and the perfection of knowledge is a combination of both ... which makes men not only educated but good Christians."

The question of relationship between faith and reason was  particularly delicate at that time — maybe less in Ireland than the rest of the United Kingdom and continental Europe — with the increase of the sceptical attitude toward religion. Newman wanted to show his contemporaries that faith and reason do not conflict, but also that “reason could not be the sole arbiter of all truth”.

Many parallels can be found between Newman’s reflections then and those of Pope Benedict XVI today, just as one can find parallels between the cultural context in which Newman found himself and the cultural context in which Ireland lives today.

Ireland is undergoing a veritable revolution of its religious culture. Many outside of Ireland still believe that Ireland is a bastion of traditional Catholicism. They are surprised to discover that there are many parishes in Dublin where the presence of persons at Sunday Mass is some 5 per cent and, in some cases, even below 2 per cent. The problem is that many in Ireland and in the Church in Ireland have not yet understood the full extent of the cultural change taking place and continue to act as if we were still simply living in a culture with a Catholic majority.

Most certainly, there are still many vestiges of popular mass Catholic culture. The Marian Shrine at Knock is the second most visited tourist site in Ireland — second only to the Guinness Factory! This year on the last Sunday in July around 20,000 people climbed Croagh Patrick, a difficult mountain, in a penitential pilgrimage in honour of St Patrick. The majority of Irish people want their children to be baptised and they also want to have a Christian burial. However, the number of non-religious marriages is visibly increasing.

The commitment of priests, such as those in Dublin, must not be overlooked. They are generous, close to the people, respected, supported, and loved by the faithful.  They exercise their ministry in a climate in which the debate on the role of faith in Irish society too often tends to be polemical or ideological. The more sensational mass media concentrate on the scandalous and on the bizarre. The media in general — with some notable exceptions — focus insistently on the sins of the Church and the scandal of sexual abuse of children by priests.

However, it is to be unequivocally highlighted that the scandal of sexual abuse of children by priests and religious in Ireland is a true scandal and not a media invention. There are faithful of all ages who are offended by the fact of abuse but above all by the manner in which the horrific abuse of children and adolescents was handled by Church authorities. The victims were robbed of the God they seek, as President McAleese said in her presentation the other day, but the faithful also often feel robbed of their Church and feel betrayed by their Church.

Ireland, therefore, becomes or has already become a laicised society. In some ways, some expressions of Irish secularism have features which are still adolescent. It is a conflicting and reactionary secularism. This can be seen, for example, in the public debate on the theme of education. Catholic schools have played an important role in social integration on a vast scale. They played a vital role in the integration of social classes, as well as integrating a vast number of immigrants. And yet, there are people who state that because of the very fact of being religious, these schools are a factor of separation in society and should be abolished or deprived of public funds. There is the impression that a pluralist Ireland must necessarily be a secularist Ireland.

However, within the Church, there are those who want to keep the Church's control over education to a level which does not reflect reality. Ireland needs pluralism in its school system. In the middle, we frequently find many parents whose interest in education rests  more on exam results and job opportunities than on one type of ethos over another.

As Ireland becomes secularised, a culture still steeped in formal religious values inevitably degenerates into a form of civil religion, where there will always be a difficulty in developing a true debate on the relationship between faith and reason. People develop a love/hate relationship with civil religion. The Church provides a unique space in which people, even though secularised, can share the events of their lives and find a ritual to express the more profound human experiences of joy, sorrow or fear. However, if the Church becomes just a place where lay persons gather to celebrate human experiences without a deep reference to God, then this civil religion ends up by being empty and does not respond to the search for God who is missing in the lives of many.

When people turn to a Church from which they are in reality alienated, they tend to desire that the Church becomes "their" Church, rather than the place where Christ addresses them and invites them to meet Him and be challenged by His love.

I have the impression that when many people say "We are the Church" they actually want to say "I am the Church", meaning "I am creating a Church according to my needs and my lifestyle." There is a danger that when some say that the Church is the "People of God", they really want to say that it is up to the people to determine who God is and how God is useful. But, whoever encounters only their own God does not encounter the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Newman saw faith as based on rational grounds but not as something solely based on reason. Faith is more than an intellectual assent to doctrinal propositions or submission to moral rules. Faith always contains an element of risk and the certainty of faith does not remove that element of risk.

For Newman, the act of faith is something which affects the whole person, heart and mind. It is an impetus to make faith a life-changing event and is constitutive of one’s own actions. The truly Christian act is something very different to a vaguely religious attitude which is just full of civic virtue. Newman does not deny that such an attitude can result in many good things, but still acting just like this does not fully deserve the title of Christian.

After the failure of the Catholic university project in Ireland, Catholicism in Ireland has not found its proper place in the cultural life of Ireland. This is due to a non-intellectual streak in the religious culture of Ireland, often located within a narrow clericalist frame. In particular, in the years following independence of Ireland in the mid-twentieth century, there developed a flourishing and fruitful collaboration between Church and State in social and education fields, which due to clericalism has often led to the creation of confusion as to boundaries of the roles of Church and State. Today, there is a need for the transformation of that culture for the sake of pluralism, but also to highlight the true meaning of Christian charity which has no desire to dominate but to serve. Where Church-State, Church-Society and faith-politics relationships are not correctly understood, it will be increasingly harder to grasp in a fair manner the relationship between faith and reason, and vice-versa. In this context, the pages of Deus caritas est[1] should be re-read.

Ireland needs both mature secularists and atheists and mature Christians with a solid intellectual formation. Strangely, the secular culture often calls aloud for a new Church, but a Church of its own design, and hopes that somehow the official Church will come into its own frame. Exponents of Catholic culture have difficulty in recognising that Catholic culture in Ireland does not have the prominence which it had in the past and must live as salt of the earth in a new way.

Recently, a leader of one of the Protestant Churches in Dublin said to me that all our Churches were now wearing clothes which had been tailored for us when we were fatter. The answer to today’s real religious challenges is not to seek more fashionable clothes to make us look better, or to follow the trends of the moment. We need functional clothes of the right fit for the current realities which we have to face.

While a traditionally Catholic country, Ireland does not have a proportionate level of theological research. School catechesis, despite the goodwill of teachers, does not produce young Catholics prepared to join in the Christian community. Sometimes, after 15 years of catechesis, young people remain theologically illiterate. There are no forums for reflection on the relationship between faith and life, like for example the Catholic academies in many German dioceses. There is a not a serious Catholic press, at the level of Catholic newspapers in France and Italy. There are few writers who would present themselves as Catholic. We do have many people ready to comment on Church events, not infrequently in a sensationalist manner with little knowledge of the nature of the Church. I do not deny the right to criticise the conduct of the Church and of the clergy, and I am not speaking here only of people critical of the Church.

There is a tendency on the part of Catholic commentators to sensationalism, to underestimating the depth of the crisis of faith, and to thinking that everything can be solved by simple media strategies. If the crisis in the Irish Church were only a crisis of media strategies, then it would be enough to turn to some guru or other. If the solution to the crisis in the Church in Ireland were only of structural reform, then it would be enough to turn a group of management consultants. If however the crisis of the Church in Ireland is a crisis of faith, it is necessary to turn to the word of God and to persons of true and mature faith.

Newman's idea was to form, in a Catholic university, Catholics capable of living and witnessing their faith in life, even in a world not always favourable to the concept of faith.

Newman’s attempt having failed, the Church in Ireland resorted to a project which lacked the sense of urgency of a rigorous encounter between faith and reason, and which placed its hope above all on the strength of an inherited Catholic culture. Seen nowadays, the fundamental presuppositions of such a project are fragile. It is necessary to revert to Newman’s ideas and to create in young people a new sense of Catholic faith.

I see here a role for Catholic movements, especially those which form the young in the true dimensions of personal and ecclesial faith, through the integration of prayer, of a personal knowledge of Jesus through the Sacred Scriptures, and of critical reflection on personal and professional life as a service to society.

The challenge is great, but also urgent. This year alone, I have circulated 250,000 copies of the Gospel of St. Luke to families. It is an attempt to renew Biblical pastoral life in the diocese. The initiative was well received, but has not yet had the desired success, because the ability to make a meditative reading of the Gospels has been lost between clergy and laity, and indeed teachers of this type of spirituality are lacking.

I do not wish be too negative in my assessment of the situation in Ireland. I have already referred to good priests. There are religious men and women who give notable witness of faith and charity. Among the laity, there is a thirst for faith formation. However, very often the vision of Church reform is seen through a secularised lens.

Newman hoped that the university would generate Catholics not only with a passion for science, but also with a passion for truth — those "educated people, but also good Christians”. He dreamed of a generation of Irish Catholics who could take their place in public without being ashamed of their belief in the value of the contribution of their own faith to society. Ireland today — and not just Ireland — needs people so inspired by Newman’s vision on the relationship between faith and reason.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
[1] First encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI (2006)

Further information:
Communications Office tel 01 8360723, email communications@dublindiocese.ie, web www.dublindiocese.ie

 

Bishop Edward Daly's Irish News opinion article on the NI Police Ombudsman's report into the 1972 Claudy bombing

PRESS RELEASE 29 August 2010

Episcopal Ordination of Mgr Kieran O’Reilly SMA as Bishop of Killaloe

• See below homily of Fr Tim Cullinane for today's Episcopal Ordination Mass and remarks of the Bishop of Killaloe, Bishop Kieran O'Reilly

The Episcopal Ordination of Monsignor Kieran O’Reilly SMA takes place at 3:00pm today Sunday 29 August 2010, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ennis, Co Clare.  The consecrating bishops at the ordination ceremony will be Archbishop Dermot Clifford, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Bishop William Walsh, Bishop Emeritus of Killaloe and Bishop Noel O’Regan SMA, Bishop Emeritus of Ndola, Zambia.  Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland will preside. The homily for the Ordination Mass will be preached by Father Tim Cullinane SMA, Regional Superior of the Society of African Missions in Nigeria South.  The Mandate from the Holy See will be read by Fr Seamus Gardiner, Vicar General of the Diocese of Killaloe.  Please see below:

1) the homily of Father Tim Cullinane SMA; and,

2) the concluding remarks of the Bishop of Killaloe, Bishop Kieran O'Reilly

Homily of Father Tim Cullinane SMA for the Ordination Mass of Monsignor Kieran O'Reilly as Bishop of Killaloe

Brothers and Sisters in Christ

We have just heard the mandate from the Holy See appointing Fr Kieran O’Reilly as the new bishop of Killaloe to which you have given your warm assent. As a member of the SMA, on this special occasion, I feel a bit like the father of the bride. Fr Kieran has been a member of our family for nearly forty years. After Ordination he worked first in Liberia and after his Biblical Studies he taught in the Major Seminary in Ibadan, Nigeria. Since 2001 he has been our Superior General leading an international group of over 1000 members from Europe, America, Asia and now in increasing numbers from Africa. Today, with the Church, we are giving him in marriage to a new family, the Diocese of Killaloe. While he will always be a member of our family, the relationship will now be different as he becomes part of a new family. When the news of his appointment came, we were certainly surprised. Fr Kieran himself was surprised and I am sure the diocese of Killaloe was also surprised. However, I am not surprised that Kieran chose, for this occasion, the prayer of St Paul in the Letter to the Ephesians, which is today’s second reading. There is a wonderful old lady in Ibadan, Nigeria, now over 90 years of age – we call her Auntie Katie. She told me that when Fr Kieran was teaching in the Major Seminary that he led a small scripture group of lay people, of which she was a member. One day, she asked him if there was one piece of Scripture that she should read what would it be? And he gave her this prayer of St Paul, “that Christ may live in our hearts through faith and that we may live lives built on love,” and she told me that this passage, which she quotes by heart, has made a big difference to her life ever since.

Today the passage may be seen as a mission statement for the bishop-elect Fr Kieran and the diocese of Killaloe as they begin a new life together because the purpose of the Church is to help people  encounter the Christ that St Paul talks about in the reading.   In his recent letter to the Church in Ireland, Pope Benedict said, “a young person’s experience of Church should always bear fruit in a personal and life giving encounter with Jesus Christ within a loving community.” Of his own encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul later wrote, “I believe that nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme knowledge of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For Him I have accepted the loss of everything and look on everything else as so much rubbish, if only I can have Christ… All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”  Being a member of the Church is about having a similar encounter as Paul had. Everything else is secondary. While we can meet Christ anywhere, the Church is meant to be a special meeting place with him. It is meant to be our road to Damascus, the place where we meet him as Paul did. That is why Christ founded the Church. Through the Church he has given us the Mass, the sacraments, the word of God and a Spirit  guided leadership, who as the instruction for the ordination of a bishop puts it,” have been entrusted with the task of witnessing to the truth of the gospel and fostering a spirit of justice and holiness.” Unfortunately, at the moment in Ireland, we know that some people’s experience of Church and the way the Good News of Jesus Christ was at times presented did not lead to a life-giving encounter with him.  In one of his poems, Brendan Keneally, gives a disturbing picture of the way that what should have been the good news of Jesus Christ was sometimes transmitted:

I stood with a catechismal God In the gravelled yard of the National School In Religion Class, Mulcahy taught us God Testing with his fingers the sally rod Explain the Immaculate Conception, Maguire And tell us about the Mystical Body Maguire failed…Mulcahy shoved him stuttering across the desks You can guess what came next.

Having encountered not this God of Mulcahy, but the God of love, made visible in the person of Jesus Christ, we will be moved to love and to form a community of love which the Church is meant to be.   We do this, as a Church and as individuals by who we are as much as by what we say. Pope Paul VI in one of his letters said, “modern man is more impressed by witnesses than by preachers and will only listen to preachers if they witness to what they preach.” St Francis made the same point when he said to his followers, “preach at all times, if necessary use words.” In his letter to the Philippians Paul says, “have that mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus”. We are called to have the mind of Jesus and to act as He would act if he were in our situation. There is a story of a parish priest who had always been on his own and then got a curate, something he was not too happy about. When the curate arrived he decided to take a month’s holidays but went away worried about how the curate would manage in the parish in his absence. When he returned he asked the curate how he had got on. He was happy to hear from the curate that things had gone well and you could see the relief in his face but then the curate said, “there was just one thing, while you were away there was funeral in the parish and a Protestant in the town, a Mr Montgomery, came for the funeral Mass. When I was giving out communion I could see in the distance Mr Montgomery kneeling at the altar rails.  I did not know what to do and I prayed that the ground would open under my feet but then an inspiration came to me, ‘what would Jesus do in this situation?”  You could see the change in the parish priest’s face as he said, “Oh no, you didn’t, did you? ”  Now I am not saying what the curate did or even what Jesus would have done but what I am saying is that as a Church and as individuals whose mission it is to be the face, the eyes, the mouth, the heart of Jesus to the world we should be always asking this question, what would Jesus do in this situation? All the failures in the Church are because we have not always asked that question and we have not always done, what Christ would have done and would want us to do.

In the same letter to the Philippians, St Paul says that Jesus emptied himself taking the form of a servant and he did not just say it, he did it. At the Last Supper, he knelt down, took a towel and a basin of water and washed the feet of the apostles and afterwards said to them, “if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you surely ought to wash one another’s feet.”  In the instruction, I mentioned earlier, the bishop-elect is reminded that, “the title of bishop is not one of honour but of function, and therefore a bishop should strive to serve rather than to rule.  Such is the counsel of the master: the greater should behave as if he were the least and the leader as if he were the one to serve.”

Having encountered Christ, he wants us to be part of His mission to the world as St Paul was. What was that mission? Christ set it out very clearly in the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth at the beginning of his ministry using the words of the prophet Isaiah which we heard in the first reading. This too is the mission of the Church today and by Church, I do not mean just bishops and priests but all the baptized. Empowered by the Spirit of Christ,  we are called to bring the good news of God’s love to the poor who have never even seen the tail of the Celtic Tiger.  Christ comes to us today not just in Holy Communion but in the distressing disguise of the poor. Mother Theresa said, on one occasion, that when she went to Mass in the morning she met Christ under the appearance of bread and wine and that when she went out during the day to the slums of Calcutta she met Christ under the appearance of the poor. I was once in a church where the bronze doors of the tabernacle were covered with tiny faces – the faces of men and women of all ages and conditions but mostly poor and sick, symbolizing Jesus in the Eucharist looking out through their tiny eyes and faces at the worshipping community. Material poverty is a bad thing but Mother Theresa said on another occasion that the poorest people of all are those who have not experienced love, the love of God or of other people. The Church is also to bring liberty to captives, to those imprisoned by sin, hatred, addiction, prejudice and discrimination. It has a mission to bring sight to the blind, to those who have lost their way in life and for whom life has lost its meaning and lead them to Christ, the way, the truth and the life.

There is, especially in the aftermath of the Celtic tiger, a restlessness in people today as they search for happiness and a meaning and purpose in life. There is a stall in a market in Nigeria which purports to sell everything you would need to make you happy. Over it is a sign saying, “if shopping does not make you happy, you have been shopping in the wrong places.” Today many people are shopping in the wrong places for happiness and for a meaning and purpose in life, which only Christ can give.  St Augustine discovered this a long time ago. After shopping in many places for happiness he at last found it in Christ and wrote, “you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” When people were leaving Jesus because they found his teaching too difficult, Jesus asked his disciples, ‘will you also go away also?’, Peter replied for all of them: “to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life”  or as Fr Kieran’s Episcopal motto puts it, “your words are truth.”

In his letter to the Irish Church, Pope Benedict asks us “to remember the rock from which we are hewn.” That rock is Christ, coming to us, in a special way, through our own faith tradition passed on from our forefathers and going right back to St Patrick. Examples of this long tradition in the diocese of Killaloe are very well illustrated in the brochure for today’s celebration. This faith tradition is the rock from which we are hewn and the reservoir of faith that we are called to drink from in a world where there are many attractive but polluted pools of water. Fr Kieran is fortunate to be entering a diocese with this long tradition of faith and following a Bishop, Bishop Willie Walsh, who has a special gift of showing forth the compassionate face of Christ to the poor and marginalised.

As I said earlier, the Church is all of us: lay people, priests, religious and bishops. To make Christ and his Church come alive in ourselves in our diocese, in our parish, in our pastoral areas and clusters we all need to work together. The Instruction calls for a listening Church.  It calls on the people to listen to the bishop and to remember the words of Christ to the apostles, “whoever listens to you listens to me,” but also calls on the bishop to, “encourage the faithful to work with him in his apostolic task and to “listen willingly  to what they have to say.” Speaking of the role of the laity, Cardinal Newman who lived for a time in Ireland and who is to be beatified next month when the Pope visits Britain, said on one occasion, “I want a laity who know their religion, who enter into it, who know where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it. I want an intelligent well instructed laity.” For this to happen, all of us laity, priests, religious and bishops need first of all to listen to God in prayer.

For the Church to grow, most of all we need the help of Christ and his power is available to us. The gospel chosen for today’s ceremony is the prayer of Jesus for the apostles at the Last Supper. It is also a prayer for Bishops, as successors of the apostles. In the context of today’s celebration it is in a special way a prayer for Fr Kieran. It should be very encouraging for Kieran that Christ is praying for him and through the laying on of hands of the bishops Christ is laying his hands on him and giving him the same Holy Spirit that he gave to the apostles. I would ask you too pray for him not just today but also into the future as he is entering the Irish Church at a time when the Church is having a Good Friday experience. However, as a Church, we do need, especially at the moment, to remember that after Good Friday came Easter Sunday and new life with Christ rising, wounded but glorious.

There is a small book called “The Practice of the Presence of God” written by a 17th century Carmelite brother, Brother Lawrence who spent most of his time washing dishes in the monastery kitchen. One day in the middle of winter he was very sad and depressed and looking out the window he saw the ground covered with snow and frost, the trees dead with no leaves on them or birds singing on their branches; everything seemed dead reflecting exactly how he felt, and perhaps that is how some people feel about the Irish Church  at the moment, but then it struck him that in a few months time it would be spring and there would be new life, the days would be getting longer, the trees would put out buds and leaves and birds would be singing on their branches and this lifted his spirit. At the moment it may be winter in the Irish Church and in the country at many levels but spring will come because Christ our hope has risen and is always with us. Indeed, the first green shoots are already visible, in the Church and in the country as a whole, for those who wish to see them.

The Church, as Vatican II tells us, is missionary by it very nature and towards the end of the instruction that we quoted from earlier, the new bishop is reminded that he is being incorporated into the College of Bishops and should therefore have “a constant care for all the churches and gladly come to the aid and support of churches in need”. This concern is already being expressed by the diocese of Killaloe with personnel from the diocese working in South America and formerly in Zimbabwe. It is also being expressed over the years by your support through prayer, money and personnel for the SMA and other missionary congregations. On this day, I am very conscious of one SMA priest from this diocese who was with me in the seminary, Fr John Hannon from near Newmarket-on-Fergus, who has made a difference to the lives of many people in Africa. With his passion for justice for the poor and marginalised, he certainly lived out the first reading of today and like Christ before him suffered the consequences by being brutally murdered in Nairobi in November 2004. May he rest in peace.

I began by comparing today’s ordination celebration to a wedding. A wedding is a very joyful occasion and with the Psalmist we are called to “sing a new song to the Lord and ring out our joy.” This should be easy here in Ennis for Clare is noted for its music and singing. It is good to see so many people, lay and clerical, with different ministries in the Church and in the nation answering the invitation to be present and to join in this celebration. The occasion is unique because of the presence of such a large contingent both of Fr Kieran’s SMA brothers from all parts of the world, including our new Superior General, Fr Jean-Marie Guillaume and a large number representing the Church in Africa, including colleagues and former students of Fr Kieran led by Archbishop Job, the President of the Nigerian Episcopal Conference. Africa often gets a bad press in the western media but those of us who have lived for an extended period in Africa have a different story. One cannot but be enriched by the welcome of the people, their sense of hospitality, their sense of community, their active involvement in the Church which is at the moment undergoing a springtime, but most of all by their zest for life, their sense that God is good and very near to us, that life is good and should be celebrated, sung and danced about. The presence of so many of you here today, shows your high regard for Kieran who has also been part of your family and gives the occasion an African flavour, though we cannot promise that the ceremony will go on for over four hours as it most certainly would in Africa.

The occasion is also special because of the presence of Fr Kieran’s family, especially his father Seán and his mother Theresa. We thank God that they have lived to see this day. It was they who gave Kieran the gift of life and the faith that he brought to Africa and the work of the SMA. Now they are giving him to the diocese of Killaloe to be their bishop. You have blessed us with Kieran. May God bless you a hundredfold in return.

Finally, as a Church and a nation with a long tradition of faith going back to St Patrick, let us end on a note of hope with these words from the letter to the Hebrews, “with so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us,” including Sts Peter and Paul, St Flannan and St Kieran, “let us throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily and keep running in the race we have started. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.”

Concluding remarks of the Bishop of Killaloe, Bishop Kieran O'Reilly

Your Eminence Cardinal Seán Brady, Your Excellency Archbishop Dermot Clifford, My brother Bishops and Archbishops, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr.  Micéal Martin Minister of  Defence, Mr. Tony Killeen Representatives of An Uachtarán and An Taoiseach Distinguished guests, Brother Priests, Sisters, Brothers, My parents, family and friends.

1.     I would like, once again, to say a sincere thank you to all who have gathered here today. In a special way to those who have travelled from different parts of the world.  Inside the cover of your booklet I have detailed my thanks to the many who have contributed to this day. On behalf of all I extend a special word of gratitude to the magnificent massed Choirs and all who have laboured for weeks to prepare today’s liturgical and other celebrations.

2.     Today, present in the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul are members of the Society of African Missions led by Fr Jean-Marie Guillaume who now takes over as Superior General of the SMA, from different parts of the world – Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. From Nigeria Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan, Nigeria, President of the Nigerian Episcopal Conference, with  Bishops Alfred and Gabriel from Nigeria, Michel from Niger, Jean from France and Bishops Noel and Tim from Ireland. I know the people of the diocese of Killaloe are honoured that you have travelled here to be present for this occasion

3.     Bishop Willie, it is not possible for me to express adequately the gratitude that is due to you for your ministry as priest and bishop. You have shepherded the flock of Killaloe since 1994. I know you are held in high esteem by the people of the Diocese and, indeed, well beyond the Diocese, not only for your public presence but also for your quiet ministry of kindness and compassion to so many people. Your leadership and commitment to the development of the church in the Diocese, to ensure that it is alive and relevant to our times, through the reorganisation of  pastoral areas of the Diocese, will be, I believe, your lasting and enduring  legacy. I hope over the coming months and years to build on what is now in place and with the collaboration of all the faithful to ensure that the gifts and the talents, very often hidden, of the members of our communities are brought to the fore for the good of our faith communities. Thank you Bishop Willie for your kindness and welcome to me over the past months since my appointment was announced.

4.     To Bishop Trevor Williams, Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, and to members of other Christian Churches, your presence with us today is welcome and much appreciated. I hope and pray that the work of ecumenism will continue. I will be particularly interested in working closely with the members of the different churches in areas of common concern and witness.

5.     To my parents, here present: Seán and Theresa, my many family members, relatives, friends, teachers, classmates, neighbours, and fellow missionaries. In particular, I would like to recall those whose who have sown the seed of faith in my life and who have inspired and loved me, those here present and those already with the Lord.

6.     Irish Missionaries, from the earliest times, have left our island for different parts of the world where they were welcomed and made feel at home. The most recent missionary movement which began over 100 years ago saw Irish missionaries travelling to the remotest regions of the world bringing the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ. Their witness contributed and continues to contribute in a significant ways to the growth of the Church and in the areas of  education and health care to many.

7.     This is a proud missionary tradition and, in this context, I would like to remember all the missionaries from the Diocese of Killaloe who are working in foreign lands. In particular, the priests of the Diocese who are on mission in Peru and Ecuador. I greet them and wish them and their faith communities, in the name of all of us, God’s blessing on their work. I look forward to meeting you in your mission stations.

8.     I welcome to our celebration those who come from cultures very different from our own.  The Church in Ireland has been particularly blessed by your presence.  You come to Ireland to build a future for yourselves and your families - you come from Africa and Asia; the Americas and countries of the new Europe. You bring a rich liturgical background from your home faith communities. I hope that our Church in Ireland, not only here in Killaloe, will be continually enriched by your presence.  In time, I believe that one of the legacies of the recent years in Ireland will be the presence of people from other cultures in our faith communities. As our missionaries were warmly received and welcomed in many of your countries, I hope that you, too, will experience a similar warm welcome here in the Church and be fully involved in all aspects of our Church life.

9.     In his well known work, the poet Robert Frost speaks about choosing the "Road less travelled.  Perhaps that is the road that we, members of the Church are asked to travel into the future, a pilgrim road.  A road that offers us opportunities and challenges in preaching the message of love and hope brought by Jesus Christ. While it may be the road less travelled - without prestige and power, different from what we have known in the past, for us, disciples of the Risen Lord, it is the road to Emmaus where we journey together with our Lord as he unfolds the mystery of life and love that we have received though his life, death and resurrection.

10. To the priests of the diocese and their many co-workers I thank you for your steadfastness and witness in these times through your devotion to your ministry and to the people with whom you live and work.  St Paul asks that we “fan into a flame” the gift we have received from the Holy Spirit. I pray that together we will journey forward in hope to make the Lord more present in our world and fan into a flame the gift of  faith we have received.

11.  I would like to express my sincere thanks to all who have joined in prayer throughout the Diocese in preparation for this day and who have extended a warm welcome to me since my appointment was announced.  I look forward to working closely with you and please continue to pray for me.

Glóir don Athair, don Mhac agus don Spiorad Naomh, mar a bhí ar dtús, mar atá anois agus mar a bheas go brách tré shaol na saol. Amen.  Go raibh maith agaigh.  Mile Buiochais.

Notes to Editors

• On 16 May 2010 the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, announced Fr Kieran O’Reilly SMA as Bishop of Killaloe to succeed Bishop William Walsh who had retired on completing his seventy fifth year in accordance with canon 401.1 of the Code of Canon Law.
• Fr O’Reilly was born in Cork on 8 August 1952 to Seán and Theresa O’Reilly.  Educated at Presentation Brothers and Scoil Chríost Rí, he entered the Society of African Missions in Wilton, Cork in 1970.  Fr O'Reilly was ordained for the Society on 17 June 1978 and he served in Liberia for two years before studying for a licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.  From 1984 to 1989 Fr Kieran lectured in Scripture at the major seminary in Ibadan, Nigeria.  Since 1990 he has served on the Irish and International Councils of the Society of African Missions.  At the time of the announcement of his appointment as the next bishop for the Diocese of Killaloe Fr Kieran was serving his second term as Superior General of the Society.  As a member of the Union of Superiors General Fr O'Reilly has attended and contributed to two Synods of Bishops in Rome.
• At 2.30pm an Honour Guard will be provided for the Bishop-Elect by members of the Army Reserve under the command of Brigadier-General Paul Pakenham, General Officer Commanding 1 Southern Brigade.

• The ordination will be attended by Fr Kieran’s parents; Seán and Theresa O’Reilly; his brother Joseph; his sisters Therese and Deirdre and their families.
• During the ordination Fr Kieran will receive Pontifical Insignia that will include: a pectoral cross that was worn by Bishop Michael Peter McMahon OP who was Bishop of Killaloe from 1765 to 1807; the crozier (shepherd’s staff) was given to Bishop Michael Flannery in 1861 by the Director and Professors of the Catholic University of Ireland; the Episcopal Ring is a gift to the new Bishop from his parents.
• Fr Kieran’s vestments and Mitre were designed and made by Sr Gabrielle Murphy of the Poor Clare Community in Ennis and Maureen Sanders of the Killaloe Apostolic Work Society.
• Concelebrants at today's Episcopal Ordination Mass will include members of the Irish Episcopal Conference, members of the Nigerian and Liberian Episcopal Conferences along with clergy from the Diocese of Killaloe and the Society of African Missions.
• Among those attending from other Christian traditions will be; Rt Rev Trevor Williams, Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe and Rev Brian Griffin, Methodist District Superintendant.
• Civic representatives in attendance will include: Colonel Mick McMahon, Aide de Camp to President Mary McAleese; Commandant Michael Treacy, Aide de Camp to An Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen TD; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Micheál Martin TD; The Minister for Defence, Mr Tony Killeen TD, Mr Timmy Dooley TD along with other public representatives including local mayors from the diocese.
• The ordination ceremony will be streamed live on the Ennis Parish website: www.ennisparish.com at a link on the Homepage.  Clare FM radio will also broadcast the ceremony live on 96.4FM and on its website www.clare.fm
• All photography inside the Cathedral will be pooled.  No other photography is permitted inside the Cathedral.
• To access still photography contact Louise Brooks on +353 (0) 65 6821666 or brooksphotography@eircom.net [pictures will be emailed].
• After the Ordination there will be photo opportunities in the Holy Family School Hall with the new bishop greeting the people.
• Having already given a press conference in June, Fr Kieran will not be available for individual interviews on the ordination day. Requests for interview at a future date should be directed to the Diocesan Communications Officer, Fr Brendan Quinlivan.
• Media wishing to gain access to Cathedral please contact Fr Brendan Quinlivan for registration.

Further information:

Fr Brendan Quinlivan, Killaloe Diocesan Communications Officer, +353 (0) 87 2736310 Martin Long, Catholic Communications Office, Maynooth, +353 (0) 86 172 7678

 

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 24 August 2010 Joint Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, and Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, in response to the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the RUC Investigation of the Claudy Bombing, 31 July 1972.

The bombing in Claudy, on 31 July 1972, was an appalling crime.  In reading the Public Statement of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, published today, we can never lose sight of the terrible human cost of this atrocity.  Nine people died, including children.  Many were injured.  Many more were rendered homeless or had businesses destroyed or damaged.  The entire community of a small rural town was traumatised by a horrific attack on innocent people.

On a day such as this, it is important to recall the pain suffered by thousands of people through bereavement, loss and trauma over the years of the Troubles.  However, our focus today is very much on those who suffered in Claudy through the bombing on 31 July 1972. We realise that the publication of the Ombudsman’s Statement today will bring back many painful memories for them and we want to assure them of our prayers and concern at this time.

We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions.

All known material in the possession of the Catholic Church has been made available to the Ombudsman.

Throughout the Troubles, the Catholic Church, along with other Churches in Northern Ireland, was constant in its condemnation of the evil of violence.  It is therefore shocking that a priest should be suspected of involvement in such violence. This case should have been properly investigated and resolved during Father Chesney’s lifetime. If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else. We agree with the Police Ombudsman that the fact this did not happen failed those who were murdered, injured and bereaved in the bombings.

We acknowledge the finding of the Police Ombudsman that: ‘With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged Fr Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.’ (6.24)

The Catholic Church did not engage in a cover-up of this matter. As the Ombudsman finds in his Statement today the Church was approached by the Secretary of State at the instigation of senior members of the RUC. Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the Secretary of State the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities. The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney. As the Ombudsman’s Statement points out, Fr Chesney until the time of his death in 1980, ‘is known to have regularly travelled across the border but was never arrested, questioned nor further investigated by the RUC in connection with the Claudy bombings or other terrorist activity.’ (6.12)

Fr Chesney is dead and, as a suspect in the Claudy bombing, he is beyond the justice of earthly courts.  Clearly a number of people were involved in the planning and carrying out of this terrible atrocity, some of whom may still be alive. Those bereaved and injured deserve to know the truth. We appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this horrific crime to provide it to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is only with honesty and bravery that we as a community can address these painful issues and do our best to ensure that the dreadful lessons of the past are learned and never repeated.

ENDS

Further information:

Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer, 087 310 4444