Funerals and Covid 19 Archbishop of Dublin welcomes change

over 4 years in The Irish Times

Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell has welcomed the forthcoming increase in allowable number of funeral attendees but said he did not understand why it has been delayed for a month.
Measures set out by Government on Tuesday included that from April 26th, funeral Mass attendance can rise from 10 to 25 people.
Restrictions have been a continued source of frustration to the church whose bishops had communicated the importance of funerals, and of wider services, to Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
In his Chrism Mass homily at the Pro Cathedral on Wednesday, the archbishop said everyone understood the “worrying context” in which the decision on a slow return to worship was taken.
“It is clearly a matter of concern that the reported level of Covid-19 infection has stayed well above what had been expected, while the pace of vaccination has been much slower than promised,” he said.
“I welcome the announcement of the increase in the number of family members who can attend the funeral Mass of their loved one, although it is not clear why this measure has been delayed for one month.”
The archbishop also said he would continue to emphasise to Government the importance of the earliest possible return to public worship “and that the easing of restrictions must not be subordinated to powerful commercial interests. There will be further direct engagement with Government to ensure that specific positive consideration is given to public worship by the end of April.”
He added: “The significant care with which any reopening of churches for public worship will be approached by church authorities is well attested.”

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