The government said that these ceremonies would be possible from July 5.
Newsdesk (Jul 02, 2021, 12:15 PM, Gaudium Press) It was about time: the bishops of Ireland are reacting to the downright persecution that the government of this country has mounted against the Church with the excuse of the pandemic. Gaudium Press has published several articles showing that the restrictions on worship in this country, once the birthplace of Catholicism in Europe, have now become persecutory.
The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, Eamon Martin, accused the Irish government of communicating in a “grossly disrespectful” manner that baptisms, first communions, and confirmations must be postponed due to COVID-19.
The government had promised that these celebrations would resume as of July 5. In the country of about five million people, there have been 5,000 deaths from coronavirus.
A tweet…
The Vice Prime Minister stated that “unfortunately” the ceremonies could not be resumed.
“A tweet from a journalist of the Tánaiste (vice prime minister) dismissively said, ‘Oh, they are canceled.’ That is how they informed us of the change. The form of communication, in this case, was grossly disrespectful, and we are extremely disappointed.”
The Vice Prime Minister issued a statement declaring that he had not been disrespectful and that they decided on public health advice. But the truth is that in Ireland, the government treats the Church as a second-hand institution.
Msgr. Martin clarified that parishes had prepared to celebrate the ceremonies “very carefully,” following health guidelines and limiting attendance, but none of this moved the government.
Last April, the archbishop accused officials of “covertly” introducing new “draconian” regulations on public worship.
The government suspended public worship again in Ireland at the end of 2020. New regulations effectively criminalized face-to-face Mass. In other words, it was considered an offense. But since May 10, it has again been possible to celebrate Masses with the faithful.
Information from Infocatolica.
Compiled by Ena Alfaro