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The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell has complained about “a lack of consistency” in public health advice as he defended the decision to allow priests proceed with Confirmations and First Communions in defiance of Covid-related guidelines.
He said there are regular gatherings in bars, restaurants and hotels but “the only gathering that seems to cause any risk is a parent taking their child along to receive the sacrament of confirmation and that’s simply not credible.”
He said: “That lack of consistency leads to a lack of credibility.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, he referred to the event organised by former minister for children Katherine Zappone in July and asked why “it’s okay to have a bash in the Merrion Hotel with 50 people present. But yet, it’s not possible for a parent to take their child along to receive the sacrament”.
He said it was difficult “to avoid the conclusion that regulating religious practice, which everybody tells me is inherently safe... that it has been adopted almost in what I would describe as a very casual way”.
Archbishop Farrell also said “my preference is that the celebration of sacraments be postponed until the autumn” and many parishes had set dates into September, October and November”.
But there was lack of consistency in the public health advice and “we have to trust parents that they will be very careful in terms of how they respect the guidance. They are well capable of respecting the guidelines because they know what’s associated with it”.
He was speaking after sending a letter to priests of his diocese on Tuesday telling them that they could proceed if they wished with First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies.
Other bishops
Several other bishops, including the Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary, have similarly advised priests in their dioceses that they can go ahead with ceremonies locally from mid-August.
Archbishop Neary’s office confirmed to Midwest News that he wrote to the priests of the archdiocese late last week, advising that the sacraments can go ahead locally from mid-August, while following Covid-19 guidance and protocols.
Archbishop Neary will not be leading the Confirmation ceremonies, as he has already delegated parish priests to administer the sacrament this year.
In his letter Dr Neary said “it’s important that the Covid-19 guidance and protocols be followed, that the public health messaging be adhered to during the celebration of the sacraments, and that priests would encourage parishioners to take every precaution outside of the ceremony itself”.
Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran last week was the first Bishop to advise priests to go ahead with arranging the sacraments and was followed by the dioceses of Killaloe, Raphoe, Meath, Clogher and Waterford-Lismore.
Sinn Féin Monaghan TD Matt Carthy said the Minister for Health should sit down with the Catholic bishops to resolve the row and to end the “ugly discourse” on the issue.
Mr Carthy said the situation “is turning into a bit of a mess I have to say and it’s a mess of communications”.
“Clearly the bishops are saying they’re acting within the law and there are those in Government who are telling them they’re operating outside of the guidelines.”
The Monaghan TD said he believe the ceremonies could go ahead “in a safe way and I would be calling on the Minister for Health to sit down with the bishops over the next day to actually work out a mechanism by which communions, confirmations can take place in a safe manner and that we don’t end up with this I have to say ugly discourse between Churches and Government agencies”.
A comment has been sought from the Minister.
Asked if he believed it was a case that the church had not lobbied in the way the hospitality and construction sectors had lobbied, Mr Carthy replied that he did not know if the churches had lobbied, but “regardless of lobbying , what needs to happen is that people sit down, knock their heads together and get the issue sorted”.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said “I would be somewhat surprised if the Catholic Church didn’t have their own ways of lobbying and their own influence at Government in terms of relations with politicians” and political parties.
But he said it was a “very bad idea” for anybody “to be ignoring and planning to break the public health guidelines which are in place for very good reasons”.
Of Archbishop Farrell’s letter telling priests they can go ahead with ceremonies, Mr Murphy said “I hope that he backs down from that approach”.