PRESS RELEASE
5 March 2010
Catholic Church reiterates importance of parental choice in school provision Responding to today's speech by the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Batt O'Keeffe TD, at the AGM of the Catholic Primary School Management Association, Father Michael Drumm, Executive Chairperson of the Catholic Schools Partnership, said:

“Minister O'Keeffe raised many interesting issues including the possibility of clustering schools under a single board of management and under a single principal. He reaffirmed the commitment of the government to a plurality of school patrons.

“He acknowledged the fact that Catholic primary schools are models of inclusivity. He also dealt with the important issue of school provision into the future.

“The Catholic Church welcomes the prospect of greater diversity of school provision. The Minister’s mention of an eventual reduction of Catholic provision in demographically stable urban areas to 60% needs to be verified on the basis of assessment of parental choice. We have not yet seen any research from the Department of Education and Science to support this figure. To facilitate parental choice the DES must make clear what are the available forms of patronage. Before parents can make a choice they must know what alternatives are available.

“As agreed at our meeting last November, we look forward to working with the DES in developing a framework and criteria within which a coherent plan for changing patronage of schools can be developed. Such a plan must respect not only parental choice but also teachers’ rights and the interest of other stake holders."

ENDS

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

PRESS RELEASE
5 March 2010
RTÉ to broadcast Mass celebrating 475th anniversary of the foundation of the Ursuline Sisters This Sunday 7 March, at 11:10am, RTÉ One television will broadcast Mass from the Ursuline Convent Chapel in Thurles, Co Tipperary.  The Mass will celebrate the 475th anniversary of the foundation of the Ursuline Sisters.  The celebrant and homilist for this Mass will be Archbishop Dermot Clifford, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly.  Music will be provided by the Ursuline Secondary School Choir under the directors Mary Rose McNally and Joan Farrell.

ENDS

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

PRESS RELEASE
3 March 2010
Cardinal Brady welcomes the appointment of Rev Norman Hamilton as the next Moderator of the Presbyterian Church Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, today welcomed the appointment of Reverend Norman Hamilton as the next Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.  Cardinal Brady said:
I would like to congratulate Rev Norman Hamilton on his election as the next Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.  I know that Mr Hamiliton has worked extensively in the area of community relations, for which he received an OBE in 2007.  I look forward to working closely with him when he takes up office as Moderator in June.  I wish the next Moderator every blessing and success in this new ministry. ENDS

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

PRESS RELEASE
2 March 2009
Bishop Brennan's comments at the Diocesan Finance AGM Diocesan Finance AGM
Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Monday 1st March 2009 at 7.30pm

Words of Bishop Denis Brennan (Ferns)

"The Diocese of Ferns has been on a road involving the settlement of claims for 15 years now. It has been very much a team effort – various administrations and personnel, local diocesan and national church funding and from the picture as it exists today, up to 80% of the road of justice has been traveled. As we look to complete this road, it will be necessary to invite the parishes to become part of the process financially. Funding sought is not about sharing the blame, it is about asking for help to fulfill a God given responsibility. “That I did not cause the problem” is not the response of the Christian, “that I would like to help in the work of justice, healing, reconciliation, a safer environment for children in the future, proper financial stewardship and overall good economic health” is. I would be grateful for whatever ways you might be able to help me and the diocese to complete a road on which it has been necessary to travel, a road that will hopefully go beyond the requirements of justice and grow in terms of the reconciliation with which we are currently engaged and may be further permitted, or invited, in the future...".

FULL TEXT

When we met for last year's Diocesan Finance AGM, the clouds had already gathered economically in Ireland – and abroad – and fears of an economic downturn that would affect the daily lives of our people were palpable. Such a downturn and the realization of these fears have since occurred and the financial circumstances of many of our people have now been changed in ways that are all too present – unemployment, cutbacks and the dawning awareness that no ‘quick fixes” are imminent – these are the realities that all too many, now have to face.

At that meeting last year, I suggested a threefold response that we - as a Church - would need to articulate:

1. “Do not be afraid” – the words of Jesus that we need to apply to all aspects of our lives – economic difficulties as much as everything else.
2. “Be mindful of our neighbours” – the need to be aware of a response that is mindful of those about us, people who are being tested as they seek to manage their revised circumstances.
3. “Let us openly prioritise our needs, not our wants” – an approach that looks at the needs of those on the margins with a close eye to education and health as the most important areas.

Again, I would ask that these three messages be something we continue to preach on Sundays. As members of parish groups and committees, we must seek to discern and promote “the collective” as opposed to “the purely individual” and to have an eye to the most vulnerable, in all that is proposed.

In the year ahead, let us resolve to engage on this issue as best we can. The Gospel values of human dignity, respect, outreach, care for the poor and inclusion of those on the margins, have much to say to where we find ourselves currently, and where we can and do need to go to, from here.

Gratitude

The diocese is blessed with a model of financial administration that is second to none.

Finances are managed by a committee headed by Mr. Eugene Doyle (Diocesan Finance Officer) and Mr. Liam Gaynor (Accountant). This committee - composed of lay people and priests – meets regularly as a full group and on a micro level every Thursday morning, in Summerhill where I and the administrative staff in Summerhill attend.

Your monies are managed professionally, astutely, efficiently and with great transparency. For this, I am grateful – the system we have is a great back up to me, and for this, I would like to say thanks.

I would like also to thank the many people who contribute faithfully – week in and week out – to the upkeep of parishes and priests – and indirectly to the local diocesan, national and universal church. Your faithfulness in generosity and attendance at church – is greatly appreciated.

The diocese strives to exercise to the best of our ability the trust you put in us – and to deliver cost effective and ever evolving service.

Diocesan Finances

As always, my contribution at these gatherings is not to act as economist or accountant – such are the gifts of the lay members of our church, you who serve on finance committees. My task is to situate your very necessary work within the context of the wider picture of the diocese – the various activities that are made possible through wise and prudent management of resources.

Again, I have received a great welcome wherever I have been over the past year. At confirmations, funerals, blessings or social gatherings – the highest of standards operates on a day to day level – and this is only made possible through the very dedicated lay / religious and priestly partnership that exists in the parishes of the diocese. A lot of things are working and working well – and challenges aside – it is important that we would see this as the main subject on that canvas we call diocese, as we set about commencing another administrative year.  

I would like to say a word of thanks to the 768 people who serve on the Boards of Management of our primary schools. Huge levels of work are achieved each day in our schools – and gratitude is expressed to all who make this happen – teachers, ancillary staff, parents’ councils and boards.

Sunday Mass does not just occur – behind these gatherings are members of parish and pastoral councils, finance councils, sacristans, altar servers and societies, readers, Eucharistic ministers, collectors, ushers, grounds people, choirs and musicians. In all we hear of Church, we should remember the army of quiet and effective volunteers who do their duties diligently and for no personal reward, save the enhancement of their spiritual lives, from which their initial generosity springs.

Everyday, priests and people working on a day to day level serving the needs of the local parish. Funerals, weddings, patrons,– the very stuff of daily catholic life. The same happens in schools – from beginning to end of year Masses, prize giving and other award ceremonies – to day to day chaplaincy and work of our catechists – and all that is done quietly and surely. A lot of great work occurs in our schools and in our parishes – may God continue to guide it.

I would like to say a word of welcome home to Fr. Sean Devereux who has completed 10 years of service in the Gambia. His recent return was necessitated by poor health – we wish him every blessing as he journeys to recovery. Fr. Denis Browne continues to minister in Brazil – in the remotest of quarters as he completes his second term. And then there is Fr. Mal Sinnott – a symbol of the many religious from the diocese who serve abroad in situations of grave personal danger. His recent ordeal highlighted many things – two in particular – generosity of spirit and the legacy we take, all too lightly perhaps, of having given the best of our people to those in the greatest need throughout the world.

World Youth Day 2011 now beckons – and the team will be back on the campaign trail in the coming weeks and months preparing for Madrid 2011.

Book launches and parish publications

School extensions and renovations – Poulpeasty, Coolcotts, Murrintown, Curracloe, Blackwater, Ballythomas, Ballyroebuck, Ballyoughter and Loreto, Gorey. Church renovations in Mayglass, 150th celebrations in Rathnure and Cloughbawn, 100 year celebrations in Oulart, and the great renovation work carried out by the sisters of St. John of God at Ballyvalloo which reopened its doors to us all last October.

Diamond, golden, ruby and silver jubilees over the past year – not to mention what we will celebrate in the coming year – Monsignor Corish is 65 years a priest, Canon S.S. de Bhál is 60 years, we have 5 Golden Jubliarians – Frs. Jim Byrne, Tom Eustace, John French, Seamus Larkin and Fr. Jim Lennon. Yours truly is 40 years a priest this year and Fr. Tommy Brennan celebrates his silver jubilee.

Bene Merenti awards in the parishes of Kilrush, Cushinstown, Riverchapel, Gorey, St. Senan’s and Carnew.

Advances in the area of Safeguarding Children through the good offices of our now 73 safeguarding parish representatives.

Day to day administrative meetings at Summerhill - where the best course of action is discerned by very committed laypeople and clergy - for the people and priests of the diocese.

I would like also to say a word of gratitude to Monsignor Kehoe who retired last August and to say a word of congratulations to our new Vicar General, Fr. Joe McGrath and our new Vicar for Clergy, Fr. Denis Lennon and extend to them every good wish in their new roles. Gratitude is also extended to Fr. John Sweetman who has undertaken the role of Vicar Forane for Gorey. With Fr. Paddy Cushen, Vicar Forane for Enniscorthy, much time and thought is given to the day to day life of the diocese by the Vicars at our regular meetings and for that I am very grateful.

This is just a small bit of all that is going on, I could mention much more – but from this small snapshot, you get an idea of how rich and vibrant the diocese is. From what we have, we need to build to face the new challenges of today.

Diocesan Services

Diocesan services continue to give of their best and I would like to say a word of thanks here also, to:

The Ferns Diocesan Centre and the Education Secretariat – Sr. Anna, Fr. Frank Murphy and Fr. John Paul Sheridan. I warmly welcome the new team of recently retired teachers who give of their time and talent in the visitation of primary schools.
Diocesan Pilgrimages – Fr. Brendan Nolan (O.L.I.), Fr. Richard Lawless, Fr. Oliver Sweeney and Fr. Tommy Doyle and to the teams of people who make pilgrimages possible – and successful. And also our many priests and people involved in the Irish Pilgrimage Trust.
The diocesan property committee – headed by Mr. Bernard Doyle.
Family Life Services (ACCORD / CURA / BEREAVEMENT / TRAVELLERS / COUNSELLING) – now managed by Ms. Theresa Hanrahan and overseen by a Board chaired by Fr. Jim Fegan.
Christian Media Trust people – now heading for their 21st birthday – the Trust has produced 4.25 hrs programmes for local radio faithfully each week – and all the result of voluntary effort.
Not forgetting also those who serve on retreat teams, the ecumenical committee, St Aidan’s Trust, St. Ibar’s Trust, History and Archives, Retirement and Sick Priests’ Funds, Pontifical Missions, Vocations, Liturgy under John Woodbyrne, Emigrants and Newcomers, Marriage Tribunal and Diocesan Administration.

These diocesan groups provide services to and for parishes, services that parishes cannot provide – or which make financial sense for individual parishes not to provide - for themselves. The monies you send to the Central Fund are used to fund these services and they are provided in a cost effective and professional manner. To all I say thank you.

With regard to finances, there are a few points that have been made before, but which deserve restating:

Your money – for the most part (80%) remains within your parish – and it is managed locally by yourselves.
What comes to the diocese – and which has been outlined tonight – is well managed and helps us to achieve the  break even (this year surpus) situation, we achieve almost annually.

Safeguarding Children

The funding of claims associated with child abuse as perpetrated by some members of the clergy continues to impact on the diocese financially. The issue continues to receive priority attention and I am glad to report continued progress.

The number of settlements made to date is 48. These have cost €8,120,7075, of which €2,138,692 were legal fees.

There are 13 civil actions pending.

The diocese has also paid €2,121,478 in legal fees, which arose from its co-operation with the Berminghman and Ferns Inquiries. €650,000 was recovered from a contribution made by the government. Treatment of offenders has amounted to €836,000, an investment in child protection in the long term. The diocese would like to record its deep gratitude to the other dioceses in Ireland for the very tangible support they have shown in their assistance in the funding of claims through the Stewardship Trust.

I would like to make a few observations on this matter:

This particular tragedy is not viewed by the diocese as a problem to be solved. More accurately, people who suffered abuse are not the cause of our problems: the actions of individual perpetrators, along with mismanagement, poor understanding and/or lack of resolve - are. In the light of the Gospel, what has emerged into the open is rightly seen as “the calling of our time” – and those who have suffered are rightly seen as having first call on our attention. We are asked to address child sexual abuse as pastors and to respond in the manner of the Master, and nobody less.

Any road to healing and reconciliation is only possible to the degree that it is preceded by openness, justice and truthfulness. The settlements made to date are necessary and represent the diocese’s desire to take responsibility for hurts caused, hurts which date back several generations – as far back as the 1940’s in cases. It is our duty to make good the bad, to recognize the enormity of what was stolen and to do it as Christ who reaches out.

The damage done in some cases to the person’s “believing relationship” or his / her “ability to trust and believe” is often the most profound damage of all. This is something about which we hear more and more. Consideration of how we might be available to its repair, is something to which we must give grave and ongoing attention.

The diocese is at various points on the road with individual victims and survivors: some wish to have no further dealings with us and this we respect; some view us as representing or defensive of those who damaged them; some stay in contact; and some engage with us in the search for healing and reconciliation. It is our duty to respect that place where each survivor and victim finds himself and herself on that painful path, and to be present, as requested, on the terms and according to the wishes of people whose autonomy is paramount. Many have struggled hard to regain this autonomy, it is vital that this not be damaged any further. The continuation along a path where we have been the students for the most part – not the teachers – is something we need to complete with humility, openness and a desire for the genuine good of those hurt.

The diocese has a very open policy on this matter – it shares all information with the Gardai, the HSE, its own advisory panel and with the Holy See. All recommendations or directives received from these groups has been accepted and implemented.

The Diocese of Ferns has been on a road involving the settlement of claims for 15 years now. It has been very much a team effort – various administrations and personnel, local diocesan and national church funding and from the picture as it exists today, up to  80% of the road of justice has been traveled. As we look to complete this road, it will be necessary to invite the parishes to become part of the process financially. Funding sought is not about sharing the blame, it is about asking for help to fulfill a God given responsibility. “That I did not cause the problem” is not the response of the Christian, “that I would like to help in the work of justice, healing, reconciliation, a safer environment for children in the future, proper financial stewardship and overall good economic health” is. I would be grateful for whatever ways you might be able to help me and the diocese to complete a road on which it has been necessary to travel, a road that will hopefully go beyond the requirements of justice and grow in terms of the reconciliation with which we are currently engaged and may be further permitted, or invited, in the future.

Ends

Further information: John Carroll (Rev) Rev John Carroll, tel: 053-9122177

PRESS RELEASE
1 March 2010
Opening Address by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland at the launch of the Post-Primary Review Consultation at St Catherine's College, Armagh

• The delivery of post primary education is about so, so much more than academic selection ... [it is] about what will provide a better future for every child in our society - Cardinal Brady

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me begin by saying how much we appreciate your presence here this morning. Your role in helping parents and other key stakeholders understand the range of issues facing education in Northern Ireland is critical. I appeal to you to do justice to the full truth of what is at issue here. Providing an education system in Northern Ireland fit for purpose in the 21st century. That is the challenge and it simply cannot be reduced to a narrow debate about academic selection or who is on one side or another of a political divide. There is so, so much more at stake.

As Trustees of Catholic schools we come to this and other questions as educationalists. Our vision of education is based on the values of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our primary concern is ensuring the best possible education for every child. For every child is made in the image and likeness of God. We all have a profound duty of care to every child in our society. We can only fulfil that duty if we take account of all of the issues which influence the quality of education and its future provision.

That is why society needs to re-dimension the debate about academic selection. We need to locate it in the wider context of all the challenges which confront education in Northern Ireland at this time. The debate cannot be confined to academic selection at age eleven.

For example, any effective reshaping of the future has to take account of the impact of the demographic downturn on the intake of secondary and grammar schools in every sector. The reality is that as school numbers go down some Grammar schools are effectively becoming all-ability schools. Should this be allowed to happen at the expense of resources, staffing and perhaps the very future of many existing secondary schools? Is a more strategic, inclusive collaborative solution not possible, one which takes account of the particular needs, infrastructure and resources of a local area? It is also a fact that many all-ability post-primary schools are also high performing schools in terms of academic results. We have to be honest and face this reality. We have to be just and fair to all schools.

Planning for a better future also has to take account of the obligations arising from the Department of Education’s Entitlement Framework. That Framework aims to provide access to a wider range of subjects for every pupil. Planning also has to take account of the Sustainable Schools policy which suggests that schools should operate with a minimum number of 500 pupils at age 11-16 and 100 at post-16. It has to take account of an area-based approach to planning and the duty on all schools to contribute to greater cohesion, integration and sharing.

In establishing the Post-Primary Review initiative, this is what the Catholic Trustees have sought to do, to take account of all the relevant issues. As far back as September 2006, the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education (NICCE) launched a comprehensive review of Catholic-managed post-primary education across Northern Ireland. The Review has involved post-primary Principals, Boards of Governors and Trustees working together to identify options or proposals for the future delivery of high quality post-primary Catholic education in sixteen project areas.

Supported by the Department of Education the review has been closely linked to work being developed with other educational partners. It is the culmination of the efforts of the Catholic sector to contribute strategically to the challenges facing all who deliver and manage the education of our children.

The review has been guided at all times by the Commission’s Core Principles. These principles state that any arrangements for post-primary education should:

• Optimise high quality education provision and excellence in outcomes for all pupils;
• Actively promote justice, reconciliation, mutual understanding, solidarity, inclusive communities and be part of a genuinely pluralist provision of education;
• Contribute to the provision of education choices for parents and pupils; and
• Be the result of transparent consultative processes.

It is in keeping with this commitment to transparent consultative processes that today we are launching a comprehensive consultation exercise on the preliminary proposals from each of the sixteen project areas. This is the widest consultation exercise ever undertaken by the Catholic Trustees on the future of Catholic Schools in Northern Ireland. We want the consultation to be as inclusive as possible. We want to hear from parents, pupils, teachers, other school staff members and Boards of Governors. It is particularly important that local Catholic Primary Schools make their views known on the proposals.

The document you have received this morning called Education For All: Shaping the future of post-primary Catholic Education, will be distributed widely to the Principals of all Catholic Primary and Post-Primary schools in Northern Ireland along with the project proposals for their particular area. The Principals will be asked to ensure that all staff members receive a copy and all parents of children at their school. The decisions we reach at the conclusion of this consultation process will shape the delivery of Catholic education in Northern Ireland for decades to come. We especially wish parents to engage and consider the options and give their views on these important issues.

Critically, we wish to hear from other educational stakeholders and from other schools in the local areas for which each proposal has been developed. Plans are being made to ensure that they too have an opportunity to comment on the proposals and to shape the outcome of this process. This includes the views of Teacher Unions and the Education and Library Boards. The material will also be available on the web site of the Post Primary Review Project and of the Catholic Commission so that the wider public can contribute their views.

I want to stress this morning that this is an initial consultation and it is an inclusive consultation. The Catholic Trustees want to explore with all other school providers how we can co-operate in new and creative ways to provide the best possible education for every child – for all children – in each local area. We have been and will continue throughout this process to consult beyond the Catholic network of schools and to explore new ways of sharing resources, facilities and personnel at local level to ensure that the best possible education for all children in our society is achieved.

This marks a very significant development in our approach to the future of Catholic Education in Northern Ireland. It signals our commitment to consider new ways of building relationships which contribute to good relations based on the Christian virtues of good neighbourliness, mutual respect and reconciliation. I believe an exciting and better future can be achieved if we approach the challenges which confront all schools in Northern Ireland with a sense of responsibility for each other and for every child in our society. New models of provision can be achieved without compromise to cherished values and the right to schools with a particular denominational ethos. The Catholic Trustees are signalling today their willingness to think outside the box on these issues and to engage in wide ranging discussion about how together we can provide the best education for every child in Northern Ireland.

It is in this spirit, that I also take this opportunity to appeal to our locally elected representatives. I appeal to our politicians to move beyond the narrow focus on academic selection and to engage in a wider, more inclusive discussion about how together we can provide the best possible system of education for every child in Northern Ireland. You cannot provide a viable answer to the question of academic selection without considering a range of other issues, including the dramatic impact of the demographic downturn on existing secondary schools as well as sustainability and new curriculum entitlements at a local level.

Allowing parents and others to believe that this issue is only about the future of grammar schools is a disservice to them and to the complexity of the issues involved. We need a more mature, responsible, inclusive and wide-ranging debate. The delivery of post primary education is about so, so much more than academic selection.

In establishing the Post-Primary Review and initiating an inclusive and wide ranging discussion about provision in each local area, I hope that the Catholic Trustees have made a contribution to moving the current debate on to a wider and more helpful level about what will provide a better future for every child in our society.

As is pointed out in the document you have received, Catholic Education for All, our objective is to provide solutions in local areas which will help schools deliver several core benefits to all pupils in that area. These include:

• Opportunities for every young person to develop their full potential;
• The opportunity for every child in a Catholic School to receive a quality education in modern, well-equipped facilities;
• Increased access for all pupils to high quality academic and applied educational pathways;
• An effective transition from primary through post-primary to third level education and employment in the 21st century;
• A network of quality schools guaranteeing access to a curriculum that will meet the needs of all pupils within the context of the Entitlement Framework.
• Effective collaborative links with other education providers through Area Learning Communities and new, creative structures of mutual support and sharing.

This can only be achieved if we address all of these issues together. It will not be achieved without a significant shift in the way our facilities are currently organised, managed and maintained. Determining the best route through that change is the fundamental objective of this consultation process and of the Post-Primary Review.

In concluding, let me say, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education, how grateful we are to Mrs Deirdre McDonald, Principal of St. Catherine’s College and to her staff for making the College and its facilities available to us this morning. St. Catherine’s College is an outstanding all-ability Catholic Post-Primary school. It is a good example of the partnership between Catholic Primary and Post-primary schools, and between Catholic schools and other schools in the local area which as Trustees we want to encourage into the future. St. Catherine’s has also made the journey from a system of academic selection at age eleven to all-ability post-primary education. In 1973 the Sacred Heart Secondary Intermediate School and the Sacred Heart Grammar School amalgamated into the all-ability school we are in today, St. Catherine's College, Convent of the Sacred Heart. It has done so with outstanding success. For example, last year alone no fewer than five students from St. Catherine’s achieved top marks in Northern Ireland in this summer’s CCEA examinations. Just as importantly, pupils in this school are encouraged to develop their full range of gifts and talents and to celebrate and respect the particular talents of others. Through the establishment of a highly successful co-educational Irish medium stream St Catherine’s has also played a major role in providing new forms of education provision for a wider catchment area than just its own.

Dividing schools and pupils into academic and non-academic does not do justice to the complex way in which we now know children progress and develop. There are other schools besides Grammar schools which can provide an excellent academic education for children.

Finally, we have to face the reality that the demographic downturn and the increased demands of the curriculum mean that no school can stand in splendid isolation from others in the search for a system of post-primary provision which values and gives an equal opportunity to every child in our society.

Thank you for listening so patiently. I now invite my colleagues on the panel to address any questions you may wish to ask.

ENDS

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

PRESS RELEASE 1 March 2010 Papal ceremonies for Holy Week and Easter 2010

The Pontifical Council for Communications has outlined the following broadcasting arrangements regarding the ceremonies for Easter 2010 at which His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, will officiate at:

Worldwide Telecasts – Holy Week, Easter Triduum, Easter Sunday 2010

Date

Time & Place

Ceremony

28 March

9:30 am – 12:45 pm Rome time

St Peter’s Square

Palm Sunday - Passion of the Lord, Blessing of the Palms, Procession, Holy Mass

1 April

9:30 am – 12:00 pm Rome time

Saint Peter’s Basilica

Holy Thursday - Chrism Mass

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Rome time

Basilica of Saint John Lateran

Holy Thursday - Mass of the Lord’s Supper

2 April

5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Rome time

Saint Peter’s Basilica

Good Friday - Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

Satellite Distribution

Free for Catholic broadcasters
Europe: Eutelsat Hotbird 8 @ 13° E
Americas: Telstar 12 @ 15° W
Commentary in various languages available from Vatican Radio via ISDN. Distribution by ISDN is limited and may be requested from the International Relations Office of Vatican Radio relint@vatiradio.va (tel. +39 06 698 83945) which will provide them on a first come, first served basis.

Date

Time & Place

Ceremony

2 April

09:15 pm – 11:00 pm Rome time

Colosseum

“Mondovisione”

Worldwide Telecast

Good Friday - Way of the Cross

Satellite Distribution

Free for ALL broadcasters through Eurovision
Africa: Atlantic Bird 3 @ 355° E
Americas: NSS806 @ 319.5° E
Asia: Asiasat 2 @ 100.5° E
Europe: Eutelsat W3A @ 7° E
US Domestic: to be determined
Television commentaries from the Vatican in English, Spanish and French provided on satellite audio channels.

For Catholic broadcasters:
Europe: Eutelsat Hotbird 8 @ 13° E
Americas: Telstar 12 @ 15° W
Commentary in various languages available from Vatican Radio via ISDN. Distribution by ISDN is limited and may be requested from the International Relations Office of Vatican Radio relint@vatiradio.va (tel. +39 06 698 83945) which will provide them on a first come, first served basis.

Date

Time & Place

Ceremony

3 April

9:00 pm – 12:15 am Rome time

Saint Peter’s Basilica

Holy Saturday - Easter Vigil

Satellite Distribution

Free for Catholic broadcasters
Europe: Eutelsat Hotbird 8 @ 13° E
Americas: Telstar 12 @ 15° W
Commentary in various languages available from Vatican Radio via ISDN. Distribution by ISDN is limited and may be requested from the International Relations Office of Vatican Radio relint@vatiradio.va (tel. +39 06 698 83945) which will provide them on a first come, first served basis.

Date

Time & Place

Ceremony

4 April

10:15 am – 12:45 pm Rome time

10:15 am Rome time

Saint Peter’s Square

 

12:00 noon Rome time

Central Loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica

“Mondovisione”

Worldwide Telecast

Easter Sunday – Holy Mass

Immediately followed by the

Easter Message and Blessing

“Urbi et Orbi”

Satellite Distribution

Free for ALL broadcasters through Eurovision
Africa: Atlantic Bird 3 @ 355° E
Americas: NSS806 @ 319.5° E
Asia: Asiasat 2 @ 100.5° E
Europe: Eutelsat W3A @ 7° E
US Domestic: to be determined
Television commentaries from the Vatican in English, Spanish and French provided on satellite audio channels.

For Catholic broadcasters:
Europe: Eutelsat Hotbird 8 @ 13° E
Americas: Telstar 12 @ 15° W
Commentary in various languages available from Vatican Radio via ISDN. Distribution by ISDN is limited and may be requested from the International Relations Office of Vatican Radio relint@vatiradio.va (tel. +39 06 698 83945) which will provide them on a first come, first served basis. Contact Information

Eurovision World Feed Desk
(Sara Alonso)
Tel: +41 22 717 2822;
Fax: +41 22 747 4822
Email: worldfeed@eurovision.net
Web: www.eurovision.net/wf/worldfeeds.php

Television commentary positions in Vatican City:
RAI Eurovision
(Lucia Colafrancesco)
Tel: +39 06 3317-1151 / 52;
Fax: +39 06 3317-0053
Email: newsprod@rai.it

All inquiries:
Pontifical Council for Social Communications
(Thaddeus Jones)
Tel: +39 06 698 91810;
Fax: +39 06 698 91840
Email: telecast@pccs.va
Web: www.pccs.it/tj/telecasts.htm

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

PRESS RELEASE 25 February 2010 Cardinal Brady's Address to the Catholic Principals' Association Conference at the Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown, Co Tyrone

Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be with you at this first major Conference organised by the Catholic Principals’ Association. I thank your Chairman, Dr Seamus Quinn for his kind invitation to be here. I offer my congratulations to the organising committee on providing such an impressive two-day programme.

Today I simply want to convey to you the support and gratitude of the Trustees for your outstanding leadership. Your commitment to the mission of Catholic education at this critical time is much appreciated.  The title you have chosen for the Conference is particularly apt – Renewing our Stewardship. We meet in Lent and Lent is a time of renewal. It is a time for honest reflection on how things are going. It is a time in particular, for reflecting on how we are living up to our responsibilities to God, to others and to ourselves. In that context today’s Gospel gives us excellent advice for renewal.  Jesus is delivering the Sermon on the Mount and he says:  

“Ask and it will be given to you;
Seek and you will find:
Knock and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  
What human being among you, when your child asks for a loaf will give them a stone?  Or, if they ask for a fish will you give them a snake?  
So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him”
So I suggest, that in addition to conferencing, this Lent is also a time for prayerful discerning – The question is: how the stakeholders in education may find the right way forward.  That way – I suggest – must take account of the fact that every pupil is made in the image and likeness of God.  Their hearts are restless until they rest in God.  The education that is offered must be fit for purpose at all times and never yield to the temptations to be minimalistic in this regard.

We are also here to talk about stewardship - our shared stewardship of Catholic education.  The word ‘stewardship’ is important and rich in biblical references. A steward is someone who has been given responsibility to administer the Master’s property according to the Master’s instructions. We are talking here about a mission we have received on sacred trust from Jesus Christ.  Jesus called his followers to ‘go out and teach all nations’. We are talking about a sacred trust which has been given to us by the community of Christ’s believers, the Church.  We believe that the Church continues Christ’s mission of truth, justice, mercy and love in the world.

We are also talking about stewardship of a sacred trust given to us by parents.  Parents who wish to have their children educated in a school community defined and inspired by Catholic faith and values on a daily basis. Of course, all parents, whatever their denominational background, have this right to have their children educated in accordance with their religious convictions. This right is recognised in international instruments of human rights, including the European Convention on Human Rights.

Children also have a right to know God. They too have a right to receive the truth and life which God offers them in the Sacred Scriptures, in the sacraments and in prayer. If we really believe that Jesus Christ reveals the whole truth about the human person, then children have a right to receive that truth. If we really believe that the message of Jesus Christ is the key to a better world and the source of our eternal hope, then we also believe children have a right to be part of a school community in which Jesus and his message are lived, respected and promoted. Children also have a right to worship God as part of their daily activity. They have a right to be trained and formed in the worship and prayer of the faith community to which they belong. Renewing our stewardship of Catholic schools has to involve renewing our commitment to respecting and promoting the right of children in our schools to be led and formed in authentic worship of God in the Catholic tradition. This is not some optional extra. Children and their parents have a right to expect a Catholic school to provide children with a formation in prayer and worship. That is why I make a special appeal to you as leaders of your school community to reflect seriously on this essential part of our shared duty of stewardship.

As the Irish Bishops’ Conference said in its Pastoral Letter, VISION 08: A Vision for Catholic Education in Ireland, ‘An education which makes no room to address the fundamental questions about the meaning of life could not be described as seeking [the] holistic development [of its students].’ Catholic schools seek to transform, not only the individual human lives of our pupils, but also, through them, the wider society which they help to build.  For this reason we should never apologise for our convictions about Catholic education.  I suggest rather that we reflect upon its proud history, its purpose and achievements.  That is another reason why I am glad that the Conference is taking place now.  It gives us an opportunity to do exactly that.

Last Sunday I celebrated Confirmation in the parish of Mellifont.  The majestic ruins of the Abbey of Mellifont and Monasterboice were nearby.  These famous monasteries were once centres of prayer but also, in many cases, centres of learning and education.  As we know they were suppressed but the desire for Christian education lived on in the hearts and minds of the people and gradually resurrected itself.  Today I am glad to say that there are Catholic schools flourishing in each of those parishes, lead by competent lay professional educators, staffed by committed, highly trained teachers and managed by dedicated Boards of Management – composed of representatives of parents, teachers and owners – who give of their time and talents – freely and generously for the good of the community.  As someone remarked at a Conference in Dublin recently, they give of their time freely not only to attend meetings of the Boards of Governors but also to make the tea on the Open Nights and other similar occasions.  I say these schools are flourishing because they strive to answer the needs of pupils made in the image of God.  

Like many of you, I have been associated all my life with Catholic schools in one capacity or another - first as a pupil at primary and post-primary, then as a student at university level.  Then came payback time - first as teacher, then as Chair of a Board of Management, and now as a Governor and Trustee.  Of course I don’t have to remind you of what a Trustee is:  someone to whom powers of administration are given in trust with a legal obligation to administer it solely for the purposes specified.  Like the Steward, the Trustee must be faithful to the Trust received.

I believe we should never apologise for insisting that our rights as a community of faith are respected and treated on the same basis as the rights of others. This is what we expect from a society which claims to respect pluralism and diversity. That is why I ask you today to support the Trustees of Catholic schools in their efforts to ensure that the ethos and defining character of Catholic schools are maintained in any process of restructuring and change in education policy or provision. That ethos and character are entrusted to Trustees for protection.  I believe they are to be conserved conscientiously and scrupulously.  

Consequently, the Trustees will not support any change in management arrangements for Catholic Schools in Northern Ireland which undermines existing rights of Trustees in relation to employment, management or area planning. The Catholic community has invested too much in their schools and in securing recognition for the rights of Catholic education to now see those rights diminished. The final position of the Trustees on the proposed Education Bill or on any alternative arrangements which may emerge over coming months will depend on a careful evaluation of the full details of what is proposed. Of course the Trustees will work hard with all other stakeholders to ensure that the provision of Catholic schools continues to be as cost-effective as possible. I believe this is achievable with minimum change to the existing legislative position and management structures of the Catholic network of schools. It is difficult to see how significant change to existing legislative arrangements for the management of Catholic schools can be justified on purely economic grounds.

The Trustees, on behalf of parents who want a Catholic education for their child, worked hard for many years to ensure that the right to have schools which are authentically Catholic was adequately provided for. This is why we will not support any proposal which diminishes the current legislative status of the Catholic network of schools or the existing rights of Catholic Trustees in respect of employment, management or area based planning. The Catholic Trustees in Northern Ireland will also continue to support efforts of the Protestant Churches to have their rights with regard to the Controlled sector respected in the context of the Education Bill or any other legislative change.

It is vital that we support each other in upholding the principle that parents have a right to schools which promote a religious ethos. Ethos means the characteristic spirit or attitudes and values of the school. The values around which a particular system of education is based are fundamental to it and to its effectiveness. Time and time again research confirms that a Catholic ‘Ethos adds value’ to a school. Catholic ethos adds value to the educational experience of a child, not just in terms of academic performance but in terms of the complete development of the person – a citizen of the kingdom of God and of a community here on earth of which they can be proud and in which they can be confident participants.

As stewards of Catholic education we can take encouragement from the fact that repeated international surveys confirm the positive impact of the ethos of a Catholic school That impact is seen, for example, in the social concern and tolerance of diversity of pupils who attend them. We must also acknowledge with humility any gap between our ideals and our practice and seek to address those gaps in a supportive and positive way.

This includes reflecting on our commitment to work with each other as a family of Catholic schools, with a responsibility for each other. Commitment to communion and community are defining characteristics of Catholic faith and life. There can be no room within a family of Catholic schools for attitudes of splendid isolation or ‘as long as I am okay, I don’t care about anyone else’. There can be no ‘second class’ Catholic schools. Part of being a Catholic school is to be part of a wider family of Catholic schools who work together to bear common witness to the vision of the Gospel. The Gospel itself calls us to be, in the words of the Second Vatican Council, ‘a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race.’ (Lumen Gentium, n.1)  Of course this also means co-operating with all schools, with all those agencies in this noble enterprise that is education for a positive genuine reason.

That is why in recent years the Trustees of Catholic schools have been working hard to bring greater cohesion and unity to the mission and management of Catholic education across Ireland. This has led to the establishment recently of the all-Ireland Catholic Education Service. The CES will work with the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education and the newly established Catholic Schools Partnership in the south, in support of a common vision and approach to Catholic education across the island.

At its core, the vision set out in the document stresses the importance of working together and ensuring effective communication and collaboration with each other at every level.

That is why I also urge you to continue to support the Post-Primary Review process initiated by the Trustees. Next Monday the Trustees will launch a comprehensive consultation on the proposals for each of the sixteen PPR project areas. We hope that everyone with an interest in the future delivery of post-primary Catholic education in Northern Ireland will respond to these proposals. The views of the Catholic Primary school sector are critical to this process. Arrangements have been made to encompass Primary school staff and parents. We also want to hear the views of:

• pupils;
• parents;
• teachers;
• other school staff members;
• Boards of Governors;
• other educational partners; and
• the wider public.

Approaching the issue of academic selection at age in eleven in isolation from the myriad of other changes which confront schools in Northern Ireland is not helpful. I believe the most responsible and effective way to deal with the ‘transfer issue’ is as part of a more comprehensive strategy.  That strategy should take account of the imminent demographic downturn, the demands of the Entitlement Framework, the Sustainable Schools policy and the area-based approach to future planning. This is, I believe, the responsible, forward looking approach which the Trustees have been taking.

I thank you again for your kind invitation to be here. I wish you well for your time together and I hope we will all continue to be renewed in our commitment to Catholic education and the good news of Jesus Christ on which is it based. Thank you.

ENDS

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

PRESS RELEASE 25 February 2010 Statement by Bishop Séamus Hegarty on the killing of Ciaran Doherty

I was shocked and saddened to learn of the brutal killing of Ciaran Doherty whose body was found late last night in Derry.

My prayers and thoughts are with Ciaran's family and friends at the huge loss they are suffering.

The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred from the moment of conception to the natural end of life.  This killing flies in the face of the teaching of Christ and is a profound rejection of all that is Christian.

Irrespective of excuses proposed by those who take human life, the killing of a person is always wrong.

Our society has a tragic history of violence.  Due to this history, we, more than many other societies, should appreciate that any attempt to drag us back to a bloody past is wrong.

A peaceful society depends upon normal policing and justice.  We have taken great strides in that direction.  It is the duty of anyone with information relating to this brutal killing to pass it to the PSNI.

Our society will only be safe when processes of law and order are permitted to take their course.

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

PRESS RELEASE 23 February 2010 Press Release issued by Bishop John Buckley, Bishop of Cork and Ross on Ash Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Irish bishops met with Pope Benedict and Cardinals of the Roman Curia during the past two days  and, together, they examined the failure of church authorities in Ireland to act effectively in dealing with abuse of young people by some Irish priests and religious.

They recognised that this has led to a lack of trust in Church leadership and has damaged her witness to the Gospel.  The meeting took place in a spirit of prayer and there was a frank and honest exchange of views.

The bishops offered their own observations and suggestions and spoke frankly of their sense of pain as well as the anger, betrayal, scandal and shame expressed to them by those who have been abused.

They described the great work that is at present being provided by trained and dedicated lay volunteers at parish level to ensure the safety of children and to guarantee that the church’s policies and procedures are followed.

The pope described the abuse of children as a heinous crime and as a grave sin, which offends the dignity of the human person and he urged the bishops to address the problems of the past with determination, honesty and courage.  The bishops assured the Pope that, insofar as is humanly possible, the mistakes of the past will never happen again.

The pope remained with the bishops on Monday from 9.30am to 7pm and again on Tuesday morning.  He said that he approached the meeting with a great sense of responsibility before the Lord and all the people of Ireland.  He listened attentively throughout the meeting.  The bishops also informed the pope that the whole parish community will have shared responsibility for the safeguarding of children.

Bishop Buckley told the Pope that the current situation was our ‘dark night of the soul’, that great suffering was experienced by young people in Ireland and was compounded by inadequate responses.  He told him that the Irish people were sad at what had happened and were shamed.  Bishop Buckley added that our suffering bore no comparison to the hurt and distress of the victims.  It was our hope, he said, that the crimes of a small number would not invalidate the hard work of many priests and religious.  Bishop Buckley also assured Pope Benedict that great efforts were being made to make the church a safe place for children.  We are learning from mistakes and are looking forward in hope and ensuring that mismanagement will never happen again.

Further information:
Rev Dr Tom Deenihan
Diocesan Secretary
Diocese of Cork & Ross
Redemption Road
Cork
Ireland
Tel 021.4301717
secretary@corkandross.org

PRESS RELEASE
23 February 2010
Bishop John Kirby's statement following the meeting between Pope Benedict and the Irish Bishops At Mass in St Brendan's Cathedral, Loughrea on Sunday 21 February 2010 Bishop John Kirby spoke about the meeting between Pope Benedict and the Irish Bishops. The following is the text of what he said:
In today's gospel St Luke tells us how Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. The story reminds us starkly about the reality of evil. The battle between good and evil goes on within each of us and in the human reality of the Church. Where there is great good, evil can often exist close at hand. But Jesus reveals a way contrary to that of Satan - the way of humble service and of complete obedience to God's word.  It was this reality of evil, serious evil in matters of sexual abuse of children that led Pope Benedict XVI to invite the Irish bishops to the Vatican last Monday and Tuesday.

In the room were 24 Irish bishops (including Cardinal Brady and 3 other archbishops), 4 Vatican archbishops, 6 cardinals and Pope Benedict XVI.  We had been called there at the invitation of the Pope to discuss the situation following the publication of the Murphy report on Clerical Child Sexual Abuse in the Dublin diocese.   The sessions lasted a day and a half or about ten hours in all.   After a prayer and a short introduction by Pope Benedict, each of the 24 Irish bishops spoke for about 6 or 7 minutes. We were fully free to express our thoughts and observations on the causes, the extent of the problem and the damage done to the victims and to the church as a whole.   When all the Irish bishops had spoken, the Vatican officials and the Cardinals replied, again for about 7 minutes each.

Each bishop submitted the text of what he would say to the Pope, the cardinals and the Vatican officials.   It would take too long to list all the topics discussed, but this is a flavour: counselling and pastoral outreach to survivors of abuse, the impact of poor management of child abuse cases, the accountability of the Church, restoring confidence in the Church, questioning the public credibility of bishops and priests, a new understanding of sexuality and the role of women in the Church.   When the some of the other bishops were speaking, I watched the Pope.  He listened intently, looked at the written text before him and occasionally wrote on the text or underlined parts of what was being said.  His attention was very impressive despite his 82 years and his frail physique.  

I spoke on the responsibility of the Church in Rome.   For years they did not appreciate the gravity of the problem.   The obligation of secrecy, originally promoted for the best of reasons led to a culture of cover-up.  The necessity to involve our own Irish state and report criminal activities was not emphasised.   The failure to reply to correspondence gave a very bad impression.  I spoke for 7.5 minutes and it was humbling to realise that I had the full attention of the Pope, cardinals and bishops during that time.  Later in the discussions, the cardinals responded to three of the points I made, so I certainly found the whole experience helpful and maybe flattering as well.

I felt that there was a good response from the cardinals and the Vatican officials.  There was recognition that some of the Roman Congregations were not helpful in the past.   Canon Law is to be updated to take greater account of the problem of Clerical Child Sexual Abuse.   The obligation to report crimes to the secular state was recognised and will be encouraged.  

Pope Benedict summed up recognising the seriousness of the problem we had been discussing.   He emphasised the need for a renewal of Faith.   When faith weakens problems emerge.   In the past, Christian Life was a collection of prohibitions or a series of possible sins.   The great merit of Vatican II was the vision of man and the way to follow: God created us in his own image and likeness, but we ruptured this image through sin while Christ came as our Saviour to restore the original likeness to the Father.   The Christian emphasis on the dignity of mankind is not found in any other philosophical system or religion.  We need to renew this vision of the human person to ensure that we respect that dignity in everyone.   Pope Benedict encouraged a renewal of Faith and a return to the message of the Gospel.

I was saddened that the survivors were disappointed with the outcome of the meeting.   Perhaps their expectations were too high.  I got the clear impression that the Roman authorities paid great attention to our inputs.   As I mentioned earlier, there was an acknowledgement that changes had to be made and an undertaking that this would happen.

According to the official Press release, the bishops spoke frankly about the pain and anger, betrayal scandal and shame expressed to them on numerous occasions by those who had been abused.  The bishops emphasised their commitment to cooperation with the statutory authorities in Ireland, North and South … to guarantee best practice in this area.  Pope Benedict classified the sexual abuse of children as a heinous crime and a grave sin, which offends God and wounds the dignity of the human person.  He encouraged the bishops to address the problems of he past with determination and resolve and called for improved human, spiritual, academic and pastoral preparation of candidates for the priesthood and of those already ordained.

Pope Benedict will issue his pastoral letter to the Irish people towards the end of Lent and please God, we will see further developments there.  I think a good start has been made in addressing a serious problem in the Catholic Church not only in Ireland but also worldwide.

PRESS RELEASE
22 February 2010
Lenten Message from Bishop Lee, 18 February 2010 My dear people of Waterford and Lismore,

Last Wednesday, which was Ash Wednesday I, along with the other Irish Bishops returned from our meeting with Pope Benedict in Rome, deeply conscious that Lent is a season of repentance, renewal and review in our lives.  Lent is above all a time of penance in which we humbly acknowledge our past failings – as the ancient Lenten hymn puts it: “Turn to us with mercy, Lord, for we have sinned against you”.  

Before travelling to Rome I listened to survivors of abuse, to you, the lay faithful, to religious and to priests.  Survivors left me in no doubt about the dreadful betrayal of trust that they experienced.  I realise that you, the people of God, feel angry, bewildered, shocked and saddened.   You have rightly been asking: “how could this have happened?”  You feel that the leaders of your church have let you down.  Many generous, hard working priests and religious also feel very demoralised.   

The meeting in Rome took place in a very frank and open atmosphere.  We had gathered to discuss with Pope Benedict the serious situation that exists in the Church in Ireland.  On Monday morning last, after a brief introduction by the Holy Father, each Irish Bishop offered his own observations and suggestions.  The Bishops spoke frankly of the sense of pain, anger and betrayal expressed to them on many occasions by those who have been abused.  We told Pope Benedict of the outrage reflected by laity, priests and religious at the abuse of children and at the mismanagement and the most serious failure to deal properly with allegations when they came to light.  

In addressing us, the Holy Father stated that the sexual abuse of children and young people is not only a heinous crime, but also a grave sin which offends God and wounds the dignity of the human person created in his image.  While realising that the current painful situation may not be resolved quickly, he challenged us bishops to address the problems of the past with determination and resolve and to face the present crisis with honesty and courage, as we endeavour to bring healing to those who have been abused.

We also had an opportunity to examine and discuss a draft of the Pope’s Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland which will be issued during Lent.  

The Bishops are determined that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated.  I, as Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, have cooperated fully with the statutory authorities and with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland to ensure that our procedures concerning child sexual abuse are being completely implemented.  I have in place a procedure for reporting complaints, an Advisory Panel, a Child Protection Coordinator and a Child Protection Committee.  Many volunteers have been trained at parish level to help to ensure that children are safe in every church activity.  Only through close collaboration between myself, the priests, religious and you, the lay faithful, can we continue to restore confidence and credibility in this critical area.

During this season of Lent we will read what Pope Benedict has to say in his Pastoral Letter and we will then engage in an ongoing process of reflection and dialogue on the future of the Church in Ireland.  The Holy Father has and will continue to encourage us on our journey.  But the journey of renewal is primarily the work of the people of God in our own diocese of Waterford and Lismore inspired by the Holy Spirit.  

As Lent begins, we take the first steps on that journey, a journey of hope.  We are conscious of the words of St. Paul in the letter to the Romans today, “If you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved”.  The Holy Father has asked that this Lent be set aside as a time for imploring the outpouring of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in Ireland.  

I am recommending that in the diocese of Waterford and Lismore, during this Lenten season we revive the devotional practice of the Stations of the Cross.  When we pray the Way of the Cross, we are reminded of that last painful journey of Jesus, along the Via Dolorosa, the indignity, insults, injuries and rejection he endured.  As you pray the Stations – perhaps on the Friday’s of Lent - I encourage you to remember in your prayers the survivors of abuse who have walked through life carrying the burden of traumatic experiences of the past.  We pray that they can find healing and hope in the victory of Christ on Calvary – because by His holy cross Christ has redeemed the World.
William Lee,
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore

PRESS RELEASE
22 February 2010
Letter from Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, to priests of the diocese following the meeting with Pope Benedict XVI and the Irish Bishops 19 February 2010 For all day on Monday, 15th February and for most of the morning of Tuesday 16 February, Pope Benedict and senior Vatican Officials met with the Irish Bishops. This was a measure of the seriousness with which the Holy Father viewed the situation. In the discussions he asked for the forgiveness of the victims.

The sense of pain, betrayal and anger expressed by victims was conveyed by the Bishops. Scandal and shame was acknowledged by all who participated.  A wide range of areas was covered in the discussion.

Central to it was the outreach to survivors, the desire to accompany them in their pain and help them find hope.  The contributing causes to what had taken place and the lessons to be learned for the future were underlined.  If lay people, and particularly women, had been involved as they now are in addressing this issue the response would have been different.  Poor past management of sexual abuse cases has contributed to the suffering experienced by victims.

The need for co-operation with civil authorities, HSE and Gardai, and the complete implementation of the Church’s own norms and procedures were seen as central to the safeguarding of children.  It was acknowledged that while this is not a problem which is peculiar to Ireland or to the English speaking world, or the Church, nevertheless its impact is intensified in the Church, damaging its credibility in a number of areas, for example, its teaching on marriage and the family, on sexual morality, and on the Church’s role in education and Catholic schools.

Criteria for admission to the seminary, the way in which priests are trained: their spiritual, human, intellectual and pastoral formation, and the need for ongoing formation were all seen to be necessary in restoring credibility.  Close collaboration with laity and religious in parish and diocesan Pastoral Councils in the mission of the Church was seen to be absolutely necessary if Christ’s gospel is to be effectively proclaimed. There was great interest in and warm welcome for the enormous number of people, men and women, who are giving so generously of their services in so many Church related areas, like Boards of Management of Schools, Pastoral Councils, parish representatives for the safeguarding of children and many other ministries.  Here in our own Archdiocese the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly has been a great source of inspiration, encouraging many more people to become involved in Church life.  I am deeply grateful to them for the very significant contribution which they make and I invite and would welcome the involvement of more.

While there was an honest and courageous acknowledgement of the challenge facing all of us as Church at this time, the prevailing mood was one of hope and trust in God “who in Jesus Christ has reconciled the world to himself” (2 Cor). Faith is the courage to live through these challenging times, to heal the hurts and become heralds of hope.  Together we can do this, knowing that Christ has promised to journey with us.

Finally, I want to thank you for your prayers in preparation for the meeting in Rome and for your ongoing support.
ENDS

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

PRESS RELEASE
21 February 2010 Homilies by bishops for the First Sunday of Lent

Please see below, for publication, homilies and statements which were delivered at Masses this weekend by bishops for the First Sunday of Lent.  Homilies and statements below from: Bishop Martin Drennan, Bishop of Galway; Bishop James Moriarty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin; Bishop Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath; Bishop Noel Treanor, Bishop of Down and Connor; and Bishop Denis Brennan, Bishop of Ferns.

Bishop Martin Drennan: What I took back from Rome after the two-day visit last week can be summed up in three phrases: face the past with honesty, the present with courage, the future with hope.

Facing the past.  The first reading today  (Dt 26:4-10) models how that might best be done. In the presence of a merciful God the story of the past can be told. Israel’s story leads to the joy of God’s forgiveness, it is recalled through the lens of faith. It is a story of how they were once slaves to fear, to work, to failure, to hopelessness. Meeting God has changed all of that. Feeling secure in his caring presence, Israel is free to name the pain points of her past, free to admit her mistakes, free to leave the past to the mercy of God and give thanks for the ways God has transformed her story. The people are not prisoners of their past, their ability to forgive has broken the power that Egypt had over them. They have moved from being crippled by past memories to rejoicing in the freedom God gives.

Facing the present.  Problems are solved over time, they demand courage and staying power. There are no quick fixes to present difficulties, just as the first reading said there was no quick fix to the people of Israel’s crises. Today’s gospel story of the temptations of Jesus shows how our hearts are being pulled in different ways. We are tempted to put wealth, power, celebrity status first, not trust in God. In testing times fear, self-pity and discouragement can take over if we are not alert to their lurking presence. Jesus faces his testing, the temptation to be a popular Messiah concerned about security, power and fame. With the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s word he rejects tat way of living. From him we learn that when we keep or gaze, our focus on God, we grow stronger. Follow the ways of the world and you will grow weaker, said St. Catherine of Siena. Lent is a time for deciding what we want to be, how we want to live. Again and again it reminds us not to forget that our journey has been given direction already, our destiny is joy and peace in the presence of God. For Jesus and for us, following the  direction that baptism gives to our lives brings a growing freedom to say no to the ways of evil and greater freedom to say yes to God and his ways.

Facing the future.  St. Paul had faced his own past where he had used violence against Christians and let the mercy of God heal his wounds. The experience of God’s mercy brought him both joy and hope. Today’s second reading gives us a glimpse of that hope. He says, Those who believe in him will have no cause for shame……everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Faith gives hope. I’ve often seen it in many people. Those who stayed close to God in demanding times never lost heart, they were near to the God who sustains us with his gentle strength.  I find that expressed very well in a Celtic blessing :

I weave into my life this day the presence of God upon my way.
I weave into the darkest night strands of God all shining bright.
I weave into each deed that’s done joy and hope of the risen Son.

Bishop James Moriarty:  Following the meeting of the Irish Bishops in Rome, I would like to share a few thoughts and some information – in addition to the official Vatican press release.  Obviously the gathering in Rome was a unique event. The amount of time and attention given personally by Pope Benedict was very impressive. Likewise the senior Curia members present were fully engaged and made their own contributions. The various sessions that took place over Monday and Tuesday were long and intense. It was certainly a worthwhile dialogue at the highest level.

As you are aware, each Bishop had an opportunity to address the gathering. The contributions were wide‐ranging, consciously so to avoid repetition. Along with addressing the impact on survivors, our continuing outreach to them, the on‐going management of ‘safeguarding’ in the Irish Church, some Bishops addressed issues like the role of laity, church communications, the Church’s role in Education and priestly formation.

In my own contribution, I explained how my offer of resignation came about and spoke about the need for unity and a deeper sharing of the mission ‘that transcends the kind of clerical culture that led us here’.

The Vatican Press Release should not be viewed as the ‘last word’. Pope Benedict’s pastoral letter which is expected in mid‐March is the document to focus on. A draft copy of the pastoral letter was shared with the Bishops and we had an opportunity to offer comments. While taking on board these comments, the pastoral letter will be the Holy Father’s document.

It is important to emphasise that this process is on‐going and more steps are to follow.

In regard to my offer of resignation, separate from the general meeting, I had a private meeting with Cardinal Re, the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, who is dealing with it. The acceptance of my offer of resignation is proceeding. It is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’. It will not happen immediately but should not go too far beyond Easter.

I am seeking ideas about how priests and people might engage with the letter from the Holy Father and how together we might identify some tangible initiatives that might follow. This might involve forums at parish, deanery or diocesan level.

Any ideas or suggestions can be forwarded to your local priest or directly to me here in Bishop’s House, Carlow.

As always we keep the survivors in our prayers at this time and pray that this Lenten season may be a time of true renewal in the Irish Church.

Bishop Michael Smith:  The Murphy Report highlights the seriousmistakes made and the terrible suffering that too many children endured.  Following its publication, Pope Benedict invited the Irish Bishops to meet with him over two days in Rome. The Holy Father and nine senior Cardinals and Archbishops from the Curia were present for the meeting on Monday and up to lunchtime on Tuesday. By his and their presence, they wished to emphasise the seriousness with which they view this evil which affects the life of the Church in Ireland and society worldwide. The meeting began with each of the Irish Bishops giving a five minute presentationon different aspects of the issue. In the afternoon, the Cardinals and Archbishops from the Curia responded, taking up a number of the points made in the morning presentations. Pope Benedict did likewise. When these were completed, discussion began on the draft of the letter that Pope Benedict will send to the Irish Church in the next few weeks. He listened attentively to comments and suggestions made by all present and will take these into account in finalising his letter. Contrary to some reports, I found the meeting with Pope Benedict earlier this week to be the most open, honest and engaged meeting that I have attended.

Since thepublication of its Framework document in 1996, setting down procedures for the processing of complaints, the Catholic Church in Ireland has constantly evaluated and reviewed our national policy and procedures for safeguarding children. In this diocese that has been done in complete cooperation with the HSE, seeking to ensure that best practice is in place.

Lent invites us to repentance. Lent also has at its heart a deep message of hope, a hope rooted in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The Church must always take its teaching from the life and words of Christ, repenting when it has failed to do so.

Bishop Noel Treanor: I should like to offer you a short report on the meeting of the Irish Bishops in Rome on 15-16 February with Pope Benedict XVI. The following comments are a synopsis of what I said in St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast at the conclusion of Mass on Ash Wednesday evening.

The invitation issued to the diocesan bishops of Ireland by Pope Benedict and his presence at the meeting on Monday and Tuesday is a measure of the importance Benedict XVI gives to addressing the crime, sin and horror of sexual abuse of children, minors and vulnerable adults. The Pope expressed his distress at what had happened here in Ireland.

This meeting was a point in the long process of dealing with the tragic shame and wound of abuse in the lives of victims, in the life of the Church and by extension in society. Of itself this meeting cannot heal this horrific wound.  We should pray daily that such healing will occur in God’s time.  

The bishops returned time and again in their contributions to the horrific and tragic fact that this occurred within the Church. They recognised that mismanagement had occurred and that there were cover-ups. They articulated the suffering, hurt and pain of victims.

Bishops spoke of the action the Church is taking in Ireland to respond to child sexual abuse by clergy, religious and Church workers.

In my own contribution I indicated inter alia that the diocese of Down and Connor has a Child Protection Office, staffed by professionals.  I recalled that this diocese has a total of 3,182 persons (clergy, religious, lay women and men) who voluntarily work to promote the safeguarding of children in our parishes and their organisations. I instanced this as evidence of the vibrancy of faith in Jesus Christ in our lives and parishes and of participation of laity in the life of the local Church. (Once again I thank all of you who give your time and expertise in this area).

The meeting began with a Mass on Monday morning. Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State, was the main celebrant.  Evoking the horror of the crime and sin of sexual abuse, he called us to repentance and renewal. The programme was intense. Bishops met between the working sessions to discuss and prepare the issues arising.

Pope Benedict will issue his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland in the course of Lent. He wishes to work on it further after listening to the bishops and to his advisers.

In today’s gospel Saint Luke tells us how Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  The story reminds us starkly about the reality of evil.  The battle between good and evil goes on within each of us and in the life of the church.  Where there is great good, evil can often exist close at hand.  But Jesus reveals a way contrary to that of Satan – the way of humble service and of complete obedience to God’s word.

My dear brothers and sisters, I write these lines to you so that you may have some sense of the prayerful and reflective discussions with Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinals of the Roman Curia.  I have chosen to offer these few lines directly to you, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ. I pray that this Lent will be a time of blessings and renewal in our lives.

Bishop Denis Brennan: As you all know, last week I travelled with the other bishops of Ireland to Rome to meet with Pope Benedict XVI.  This important meeting was both an exchange of views and a listening exercise, involving the Holy Father, a number of Cardinal Prefects and the Irish bishops.  It marks another stage in the vital search for healing, in which we must persevere for the sake of those who were affected by sexual abuse perpetrated by some clergy and religious.  When he met with the bishops of Ireland during their Ad limina visit in October 2006, the Holy Father said: ‘the wounds caused by such acts run deep’.  The most recent meeting in Rome was an opportunity for our further growthinto the realisation of this sad reality.  

Since our return home on Tuesday last, we have witnessed, once again, the pain of deeply wounded survivors, who feel great disappointment because the outcome of our meeting fell far short oftheir expectations.

I would like to do what I can tooffer reassurance and comfort here. The visit to Pope Benedict by the bishops is only one part of an ongoing process, which has as its goal, the healing andconsoling of survivors of clerical sexual abuse.  The Holy Father will be writing to us here in Ireland in the coming weeks. I look forward to this letter and see it as an important milestone on a road, from which there is no going back.  We are living through a time of great trial as a result of grave scandals and how they have been mishandled inour Church community. The diocese of Ferns is firmly set on a path where reconciliation with survivors - based on justice and respect - remains priority.  This is a path on which we have been travelling for some time now, and I thank the ever growing number of people - lay, religious and clerical - who form part of the safeguarding children network within our diocese, our parishes and our school.

We are not in this darkness alone.  Although the darkness can be very great, the Word of God is our mainstay: ‘though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light to me’ (Micah 7:80). OurChristian hope urges us never to desist from seeking ways that will lead topeace and healing for all.  I invite you to join with me in praying that our Church will continue to grow in its understanding of God'smercy this Lent and that we will to be guided and strengthened by the gifts ofthe Holy Spirit.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

• Lent for 2010 began on Ash Wednesday, 17 February.  Pope Benedict XVI’s message for Lent 2010 highlights the theme of justice.  Lent, as the traditional season of renewal and penance in the Catholic Church, is a time when the Church calls on the faithful to renew their commitment to Christian life.  This renewal is a central part of our preparation for Easter.  The Gospel tells us how to approach renewal through prayer, fasting and charity.
• Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting and abstinence.  Fasting means that the amount of food we eat is considerably reduced.  Abstinence means that we give up particular kinds of food or drink, for example meat and alcohol.  Friday, and especially the Fridays of Lent, recalls the crucifixion of Our Lord as we prepare for Easter.  Fridays are set aside as special days of penance.

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

PRESS RELEASE
21 February 2010 44 people take part in ceremony to join the Catholic Church in Dublin

Forty four people took part in a special ceremony in St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin this afternoon (Sunday 21st) seeking to join the Catholic Church.

Forty one people (called ‘catechumens’) presented to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin seeking recognition to be initiated into the Catholic Church by receiving Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist in their parishes at the Easter Vigil. Three others (called ‘candidates’) who previously belonged to other Christian denominations were presented seeking reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

This particular ceremony, called the Rite of Election takes place every year on the first Sunday of Lent. (Archbishop Martin’s Homily from the ceremony is below)

The group, of various ages and from many different backgrounds, has already been on a path of formation, an ‘apprenticeship’ in Christian living, for a considerable period of time with their local Dublin parishes.    

”The welcoming of people into the Catholic Church through what’s known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a growing process in our diocese,” said Fr Damian Mc Neice, RCIA contact person for the Archdiocese. “The parishes involved over the past number of years have found themselves greatly enriched by welcoming and accompanying people as they grow on their faith journey. Their wanting to become one of us challenges us to live our faith in a more authentic way. It challenges us too not to take what we have received for granted, and to always be parishes that welcome and form people in prayer, the Scriptures, ongoing faith formation and social caring.

Glossary:
Catechumens are those who have begun a process of formation in Christian faith, particularly rooted in the Word of God, and nurtured and supported by the faith, witness and companionship of the Christian community.  After today’s celebration they will be called the elect and will begin their final period of preparation, which corresponds with Lent, for the Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.

Candidates are those who are already baptised into another Christian communion, who wish to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church in their parishes through the reception of Confirmation and Eucharist, also at the Easter Vigil.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Photos of the ceremony will be circulated to photo desksfrom John Mc Elroy photos
• Homily notes of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin below

Rite of Election 2010 Homily Notes of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin Pro-Cathedral, 21 February 2010 Introduction

This afternoon the Church in the Archdiocese of Dublin rejoices as it embraces this group of 41 men and women who have turned for Baptism and 3 who have asked to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

You come requesting to be welcomed into the family of Jesus which is the Church.   Jesus himself told us that his family is made up of those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.

For some time now you have been following a process of catechumenate, listening to and deepening the word of God in your heart.  I greet each of you individually; I greet those who have prepared you for this journey, especially the representatives of the parish communities where you belong.  Your presence and activity are signs of the renewed sense of Christian vocation and call to holiness of all Christian faithful.  I thank you for that witness.  I pray that our renewal in the Lord can develop and deepen.

Homily

We have listened to the Gospel of the temptations of Jesus, the traditional Gospel of the first Sunday of Lent.  

The season of Lent is a moment of grace offered to the entire Christian community to convert, to return to God.   Lent is just not about individual acts of penance; it is not a Christian version of a New Year’s resolution.  It is a moment of spiritual battle waged by the whole Church, in order to identify and to turn away from idols of the day, which year by year and generation after generation, seduce us and alienate us from the message of the Gospel.

Jesus is tempted at the moment in which he embarks on the mission he has received from his Father.  The forces of evil challenge him at that precise moment.   He is placed before the temptation of Satan.  The individual temptations are about turning stones into bread, about possessing all the kingdoms of the earth, about throwing himself down in order to be dramatically saved by angels.  Each of these temptations, however, is fundamentally about the same thing: Jesus is tempted to turn away from obedience to his Father and to live and work for himself, leaving aside communion with God and with his brothers and sisters.

Jesus is tempted and he responds to these temptations through an attitude of radical obedience to God and to his own calling.   The weapon which Jesus proclaims for this battle with evil is the Word of God.  In responding to Satan Jesus does not enter into a debate about detail or particulars in responding to Satan.  Jesus’ aim is not winning points in a debate.  His answers are all taken from the word of God interpreted in its deepest sense.

The battle between good and evil continues in the hearts of each one of us still today.  The fundamental temptation to act just on our own without God can never be overcome just on our own.  The message of Jesus is not a programme of response to the details of the battle between good and evil.  It is about opening our hearts to something new and different: allowing Jesus to be the true protagonist of our lives.  This does not mean abandoning ourselves, but being authentic in ourselves, through a life of greater simplicity, detached from what is not essential and not true or good in our lives.

At this ceremony I am delighted to welcome those of you who today take a further step in your integration of this community of faith and worship which is the Catholic Church diocese of Dublin.  That journey will reach its climax in the Easter Vigil.  I welcome the elect who seek baptism; I welcome the Candidates who wish to be admitted to the full communion of the Catholic Church. I welcome your sponsors and the representatives of the parish communities who have helped form you in the faith of the Church.   

This will be for each of you a very particular Lenten journey.  You are called to know Jesus in a deeper manner. You are called to journey on a path of penance so that you can purify your hearts and minds and thus come to rise with him through the waters of baptism.

You come here this afternoon to the Mother Church of the Archdiocese because the entire Church in Dublin makes this journey of renewal with you.  We are all called to heal what is weak and sinful and defective in our hearts so that we can strengthen all that is upright and strong and good.

Lent is a celebration of the whole Church.  We reflect on the mystery of God’s action with his people.  We heard in the first reading how the Lord heard the voice of his people in its misery and how it was he who brought his people out of their misery and oppression.

The entire Church in Dublin is called again this Lent to renew itself through an examination of our lives and our experience.  We are all called to turn to the Lord who alone can bring healing and offer us, to paraphrase the words of the first reading, a new and different and fruitful land and home.

Lent this year is a moment in which the whole Church in Dublin is called to do penance and seek reconciliation concerning how terrible facts of abuse of children were responded to.  We have to reject any temptation of thinking that renewal of the Church can be achieved without recognising the hurt and damage that was done to innocent children and how that hurt was ignored.    Lent is a time when we must all look at our responsibilities for the society and for the Church which allowed such a situation to take shape.  

The answer proposed by Jesus to each of the temptations is to come closer to the Word of God revealed in the scriptures.  That is why we have begun in the Archdiocese to distribute copies of the Gospel of Saint Luke – over two hundred thousand of them so far – to families and Church groups.

The message of Saint Luke goes out to all.  Many say that they are disillusioned with the Church but still wish to follow the path of Jesus.  But where do you find the key to that path?   We cannot create it on our own; otherwise we run the risk of creating a God of our own.  I appeal to all those, who feel disillusioned with the Church but still feel attracted by the message of Jesus, to turn to the authentic source of that message, which is the Word of God and especially the Gospels.   Let all of us read the Gospel, rather than surmise that we know it and understand it.  Read the logic of the Gospel, which is a message that is relevant to today’s society with its many false idols.   Learn how Jesus taught and lived.  Let his message of God’s love heal and renew all of us.

Those of you who present yourselves today as elect and as candidates have gone through a passage of conversion through knowledge of the scriptures and the teaching of the Church.  This process has taken you one step further on your path.  Your recognition of Jesus has led you to wish to join the community of the disciples of Jesus, which has been present generation after generation since that first community formed by Mary and the disciples of Jesus, gathered around the Lord and strengthened by the Spirit.

Jesus has touched your hearts and has sown within them a hunger and longing for participation in his special presence within his Church in the sacraments Christian initiation and in the Eucharist.

This is a personal path but it is also a witness to what the Christian life is about.  Faith in Jesus is not simply a book of rules.  It is a path of life which is shared with those who profess the same faith, share the same spiritual nourishment in word and sacrament and live the same life of Christian love.

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

PRESS RELEASE
17 February 2010
Homily Notes of Most Rev Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland Ash Wednesday, University College Dublin, February 2010
The Gospel we have just heard talks about “Doing good deeds in secret”.  I am not sure that this would be proposed today as a management or public relations strategy.  Good news has to be got out there.  Good deeds must be known, if possible even before they have been done.  Image is as important as substance.  A short sound-byte can have greater effect than an enormous amount of quiet effort and activity.

At the time of Jesus things were not much different.  It was already the custom to announce any generous donation in the Synagogue or even at a special gathering in the streets.   The same applied to praying.  The tradition at the time was to recite long prayers at particular times and there was a certain admiration of those who knew these long prayers by heart and could recite them at a minute’s notice wherever they might find themselves, best of all on the public street.   The same applied to fasting, where the announcement of one’s goodness through fasting was confirmed by looking as miserable as one could and thus feeling good.

Jesus does not lift the obligation to pray or to fast or to be generous.  What he does is to tell people that they are not to pray or fast or be generous in an ostentatious or self proclaiming way.  We are to pray in the privacy of your own room with the door closed.  Fasting is to be done without a long face but a bright, fresh and clean smile that no one will surmise that you are fasting.  Generosity is to serve the needs of others and not our need of praise.

In today’s world we use the term authenticity about the manner in which we integrate true values in our lives.   How are we to be authentic Christians?  

The first thing we have to do is to recognise the action of God himself in our lives.  If we authentically recognise the lordship of God then we are challenged to look in a different way at life, at relationships with others, and with the gifts of creation.  If God is Lord, then our attitude to his creation must inevitably be different.  We will be challenged to recognise that the creation God has given us is destined for the good of all and that the harmony within nature is damaged by the selfishness of individuals and by the way we life, through our actions, our deliberate omissions or indeed by simply letting things happen.

The gifts of creation are given for the benefit of all.  Those gifts of creation are clearly to be seen in the beauty and the interconnectedness of the diversity that is within nature.  But the gifts of creation include also human genius and creativity.  The fruits of human genius are also destined fundamentally for the good of all and great divisions in our world regarding access to food, health care and knowledge are also indications of how the selfishness of some has displaced the original design of God.

Prayer means simply placing one life is the presence of God and recognising his Lordship and how that affects our way of living.  The recognition of the transcendence of God challenges all the values of the world in which we live and reminds us that there are values which transcend the day to day.

Ash Wednesday is a unique day in which within the Catholic tradition we are called to reflect on where we stand in our own lives and on what our value system is.  Lenten penance is not a punitive activity; it is not a form of religious masochism in the sense that we fell good through punishing some aspect of our lives.

That is not the Christian way of life.  There is, however, a sense in which we can only attain authenticity through an inevitably painful path of renunciation of what is non-essential.  It means renouncing any tendency to live if the purpose of life was just our own fulfilment and our own rights and our own image. 

But the real reason why we should avoid any ostentation in our prayer and spirituality and fasting and generosity is because of the very nature of God.  Where do we look to understand God?  The path is to be found in the way God revealed himself, namely in the life and actions of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ path of caring and healing and sustaining is not just an encouragement to us to live in a similar way.   Jesus’ path of caring and healing and sustaining is a revelation of who God is.
God is above all the faithful one, who throughout human history responds to the infidelity of his people and their leaders by being faithful.
“Repent and believe the Gospel” is one of the formulas used on the occasion of imposing Ashes.  It is an appeal to each of you, to identify where you have drifted away from authenticity in faith – very often almost without knowing it - into being above all self-seeking.

“Repent and believe the Gospel” is a call to the members, the structures and the leaders of the Church who have also in many ways been unfaithful to their calling and have allowed personal and institutional reputation to influence their decisions.

We all have to repent; we are all called to turn back to what is authentic in the faith so that we can be more authentic in our lives.  The touchstone for measuring our repentance will be our belief in the Gospel.  There is no way in which we can think that we know God without knowing the Jesus that is revealed in the Gospel.  That is why I have prepared a special edition of Saint Luke’s Gospel for wide distribution.  I challenge each of you here today to repent.   That means taking up the Gospel and getting to know Jesus as he presents himself to us through his life, words and action, gathered in a systematic way in the Gospels.   I challenge each of you to take up the Gosple of Saint Luke, in the privacy of your heart, and come to know the liberating message of Jesus.

Getting to know that Jesus can change your life and lead you on a path to that real authenticity that each you and also myself must seek.  Getting to know the Jesus of the Gospels is also the challenge needed for renewal of the Church.  The Church today perhaps more than at other times has itself to respond to the same call:  “Repent and believe the Gospel”
Further information:
Communications Office 01 8360723, e mail communications@dublindiocese.ie, web www.dublindiocese.ie

PRESS RELEASE 16 February 2010

The following is the text of a press release issued this afternoon by the Vatican press office following the conclusion of the meeting between the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and Irish Bishops:

Press release on the meeting of the Holy Father with senior Irish Bishops and members of the Roman Curia On 15 and 16 February 2010, the Holy Father met the Irish Bishops and senior members of the Roman Curia to discuss the serious situation which has emerged in the Church in Ireland. Together they examined the failure of Irish Church authorities for many years to act effectively in dealing with cases involving the sexual abuse of young people by some Irish clergy and religious. All those present recognized that this grave crisis has led to a breakdown in trust in the Church’s leadership and has damaged her witness to the Gospel and its moral teaching.

The meeting took place in a spirit of prayer and collegial fraternity, and its frank and open atmosphere provided guidance and support to the Bishops in their efforts to address the situation in their respective Dioceses.

On the morning of 15 February, following a brief introduction by the Holy Father, each of the Irish Bishops offered his own observations and suggestions. The Bishops spoke frankly of the sense of pain and anger, betrayal, scandal and shame expressed to them on numerous occasions by those who had been abused. There was a similar sense of outrage reflected by laity, priests and religious in this regard.

The Bishops likewise described the support at present being provided by thousands of trained and dedicated lay volunteers at parish level to ensure the safety of children in all Church activities, and stressed that, while there is no doubt that errors of judgement and omissions stand at the heart of the crisis, significant measures have now been taken to ensure the safety of children and young people. They also emphasized their commitment to cooperation with the statutory authorities in Ireland – North and South – and with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland to guarantee that the Church’s standards, policies and procedures represent best practice in this area.

For his part, the Holy Father observed that the sexual abuse of children and young people is not only a heinous crime, but also a grave sin which offends God and wounds the dignity of the human person created in his image. While realizing that the current painful situation will not be resolved quickly, he challenged the Bishops to address the problems of the past with determination and resolve, and to face the present crisis with honesty and courage. He also expressed the hope that the present meeting would help to unify the Bishops and enable them to speak with one voice in identifying concrete steps aimed at bringing healing to those who had been abused, encouraging a renewal of faith in Christ and restoring the Church’s spiritual and moral credibility.

The Holy Father also pointed to the more general crisis of faith affecting the Church and he linked that to the lack of respect for the human person and how the weakening of faith has been a significant contributing factor in the phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors. He stressed the need for a deeper theological reflection on the whole issue, and called for an improved human, spiritual, academic and pastoral preparation both of candidates for the priesthood and religious life and of those already ordained and professed.

The Bishops had an opportunity to examine and discuss a draft of the Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father to the Catholics of Ireland. Taking into account the comments of the Irish Bishops, His Holiness will now complete his Letter, which will be issued during the coming season of Lent.

The discussions concluded late Tuesday morning, 16 February 2010. As the Bishops return to their Dioceses, the Holy Father has asked that this Lent be set aside as a time for imploring an outpouring of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in Ireland.
Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678
Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer 087 310 4444

PRESS RELEASE 15 February 2010  Bishop Willie Walsh welcomes appointment of Monsignor Eugene Nugent,
as Papal Nuncio to Madagascar

Bishop Willie Walsh, Bishop of Killaloe, has welcomed the appointment by Pope Benedict XVI of Killaloe Priest, Monsignor Eugene Nugent, as Papal Nuncio to Madagascar and also Apostolic Delegate in La Réunion and the Comoros. Monsignor Nugent will be ordained to the episcopacy in Rome on 18 March and has been given the titular see of Domnach Sechnaill (Dunshaughlin) Co Meath with the title of Archbishop.

Bishop Walsh, welcoming the news, said, “Archbishop-elect Nugent is a gifted and well respected priest who has given great service to the Diocese of Killaloe and to the Holy See. All of us in the Diocese are filled with joy at the trust that Pope Benedict has placed in him to be his representative to the peoples of Madagascar, La Réunion and the Comoros Islands. I pray that God’s spirit will strengthen him as he takes up his new ministry”

 Biography

Monsignor Eugene Martin Nugent was born in Gortaderra Scariff, Co. Clare on 21st October 1958. He attended Clonusker National School and Scariff Community College. He studied for the priesthood in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth where he received a B.A. in Celtic Studies. He then went on to the Pontifical Irish College, Rome, taking his Baccalaureate in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Killaloe on the 9th July 1983 and completed a Licentiate in Canon Law after ordination. He was appointed as a curate in Ennis and ministered in the parish from 1984 to 1987. From 1988 until 1991, he worked in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of the State of Vatican.  In 1992, he completed his Doctorate in canon law at the Gregorian University.  In the same year, he graduated from the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See.  Since July of 1992, he has served in Turkey, in Israel and in the Philippines. Monsignor Nugent speaks Irish, English, French, Italian, and German fluently.

Episcopal Ordination

Monsignor Nugent will be ordained to the Episcopacy in Rome on the 18th March. He has chosen as his Episcopal motto the phrase “Quodcumque Dixerit Vobis, Facite” His motto is taken from the Gospel of St. John 2:5 and translates as “Do whatever he tells you”. These are the words that Our Lady addressed to the stewards at the wedding feast of Cana. 

ENDS
Further Information: Fr. Brendan Quinlivan, Diocesan Communications Officer 087 – 2736310 Ms Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer 087 310 4444

 

PRESS RELEASE 15 February 2010 Irish bishops celebrate Mass before meeting with Pope Benedict XVI

Ahead of their meeting with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, Irish bishops celebrated Mass this morning (8:00am local) in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, at the tomb of St Peter which is near to the burial place of Pope John Paul II and other popes.

The concelebrants at this Mass included Cardinal Bertone, who was the main celebrant, Cardinal Re, Cardinal Levada, Cardinal Hummes, Cardinal Rode, Cardinal Grocholewski, Archbishop Coccopalmerio and the Irish bishops. Prayers were offered for the survivors of abuse, the people, priests and religious of Ireland and for the intentions of Pope Benedict XVI. Prayers were also offered for the success of the meeting which takes place today and tomorrow in the Vatican.

Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, asked the faithful to continue to pray for healing, reconciliation and renewal. Cardinal Brady prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the Church in Ireland at this time.

ENDS

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

PRESS RELEASE
15 February 2010 Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, welcomes the appointment by Pope Benedict XVI of Monsignor Eugene Nugent, as Papal Nuncio in the Indian ocean island state of Madagascar Cardinal Seán Brady has welcomed the appointment by Pope Benedict XVI of Irish Priest, Monsignor Eugene Nugent, as Papal Nuncio in the Indian ocean Island state of Madagascar and also Apostolic Delegate in La Réunion and the Comoros. Monsignor Nugent will be ordained to the episcopacy in Rome on 18 March and has been given the titular see of Domnach Sechnaill (Dunshaughlin) Co Meath with the title of Archbishop.

Monsignor Nugent has chosen the phrase "Quodcumque dixerit, facite" as his episcopal motto. "Do whatever he tells you!"Jn. 2:5 which are the words that Our Lady  addressed to the stewards at the Wedding at Cana.

Monsignor Nugent is from  Scariff,  Co. Clare and studied for the priesthood in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth and the Pontifical Irish College, Rome. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Killaloe in 1983 and served as curate in Ennis. He returned to Rome and completed the Doctorate in Canon Law at the Gregorian University. He entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in 1992 and served in Turkey, Israel and the Philippines.
Notes to editors
A photograph of Monsignor Eugene Nugent is available on request from the Catholic Communications Office 01 505 3017

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678

PRESS RELEASE
14 February 2010
Homily by Bishop Colm O’Reilly at the Month’s Memory Mass for Cardinal Cahal Daly St Patrick’s Church, Rome

In June 1991, when Cardinal Cahal Daly was named as a member of the College of Cardinals, he was assigned this church, St. Patrick’s, as his Titular Church.  He was the third successive Archbishop of Armagh to have this church assigned to him.  Before him Cardinals William Conway and Tomas O’Fiaich were also given St Patrick’s as their Titular Church.  Of the three Cardinal Daly had the longest tenure.

I have a very clear memory of the day when he celebrated his first Mass here when taking possession of his Titular church.  What I remember most clearly was the content of his homily.  I am quite sure that his own immediate family will remember some of the things that he said on that occasion.  He spoke in a very personal way, paying tribute to those who handed on the faith to him.  He spoke with great warmth of his father Charles and his mother Susan.  I can recall that he spoke particularly at one point of the manner in which his father impressed him by the reverent way in which he made the Sign of the Cross.  Those of us who knew him for a long number of years will testify to the fact that what he learned from his father in that regard was fulfilled in his own life.

As I listened to his homily on that occasion, my own mind went back to his first coming to Longford as Bishop-elect in June of 1967.  At that time I was a young priest serving as a Curate in Granard and my Parish Priest was Dean Denis O’Kane, Dean of the Diocesan Chapter of Canons.  In his position it was his task to welcome the Bishop- elect when he came to present his “bulla” of appointment.  Dean O’Kane was a little apprehensive about the meeting.  When he returned home after the meeting I asked him what his impressions were of the Bishop-elect.  I still remember very distinctly what exactly he said:  “He began the meeting with a prayer, which he recited with admirable devotion”.

That admirable devotion was something with which we became very familiar in his Episcopal ministry.   I was particularly grateful to have had close association with him for most of his time in the Diocese.  I was a curate in the Cathedral Parish of Longford for thirteen of those fifteen years.  There I saw him lead the liturgy with great dignity, with attention and devotion and above all I noticed always the way in which he went to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel after the celebration of Mass to make his thanksgiving.  Denis Dean O’Kane’s estimation of him was totally accurate.

My last conversation with the late Cardinal took place on Christmas Day and it was the most painful conversation I ever had with him.  He had heard of a disastrous fire at St. Mel’s Cathedral in Longford and had left a message for me to return a telephone call from him as soon as possible.  I had to tell him of the almost total destruction of the Cathedral which he had loved very much.  He had devoted an enormous amount of energy into the reordering of the sanctuary in the mid 70’s and he suffered greatly in the process.  He loved particularly the work of his artist friend, Ray Carroll.  Behind the cathedral was a tapestry which portrayed the Second Coming of Christ and in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel a painting representing the Supper at Emmaus both by Ray Carroll.  Hearing that these works of art were destroyed was painful in the extreme for him.  It must have been a truly “Calvary moment” in the final days of his life.  People close to him at that time will say that hearing this dreadful news hastened his death.

However, I have no doubt that the strong personal faith which marked his life, a personal faith nourished by a lifetime of prayer, sustained him to the end.  Words from the First Reading of this evening’s Mass are easily applicable to him.  He was a man who placed his trust in the Lord with the Lord for his hope.  His spiritual roots were deep in the stream of grace that flows from the heart of Christ.

In the Gospel this evening we hear St. Luke’s account of the Beatitudes.  His version differs somewhat from the more familiar account of the Beatitudes of St. Matthew’s Gospel where the sermon was given on a hill and the number of beatitudes is eight.  But the essence of the message is the same.  Jesus proclaimed where true happiness was to be found.  The poor are represented as being truly privileged, not necessarily just those who are materially poor but rather those who have an attitude of dependence on God which makes them constantly aware of their need for him.  Central to the life of prayer of the late Cardinal was this attitude of dependence on God and need for God.

The Cardinal regularly referred to the letters of St. Paul to make important points about the living of Christian life.  This evening St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians reminds us of the crucial place of the resurrection of Christ.  This is highly appropriate in this Month’s Memory Mass.  St. Paul tells us:  “If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.  Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first fruits of all who have fallen asleep”.  Our faith in the resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of our prayer for the dead.  As one of the Prefaces for the Dead expresses it:  “in Him our hope of resurrection dawned and when the Body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an eternal dwelling place in heaven”.

In a few days time we shall be beginning our Lenten journey towards the celebration of Easter.  This year we who live and minister to God’s people in Ireland are especially conscious of the call of the Gospel to repentance, a time for confessing our sinfulness and entrusting ourselves to the mercy of God.  It is a time for undoing, insofar as this is possible, the damage our sins have done for what is done and what we have failed to do.  It is a time for a new beginning a time to begin trusting in the Lord’s power to save.

This evening we ask God’s blessing on our upcoming meeting with Pope Benedict in the coming days.  We pray that we may search with him for ways forward which will be pleasing in the sight of God.  We search in the spirit of today’s Gospel, aware of our own poverty, our need of God and our inability to do anything that is good without God’s help.

The same profound thought is central to one of Cardinal Daly’s favourite prayers.   This prayer is associated with Blessed Charles de Foucauld, and is called the “Prayer of Abandonment”.  I would like to conclude with a few phrases from that prayer.  I remember Cardinal Daly saying to me that to say that prayer, and to really mean it, is difficult.

“Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you;
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Not only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord”

Bishop Colm O’Reilly is Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois.

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