Chai Brady, Ruadhán Jones and Jason Osborne
Catholics across the Republic are breathing a sigh of relief this weekend with the controversial ban on attending Mass due to be lifted on Monday, senior bishops have told The Irish Catholic.
The prelates also praised what they described as the “fantastic work” of the army of volunteers who are working to keep parishes safe.
It comes as the Government has confirmed that in larger churches the number of parishioners will not be capped at 50 (see page 3).
“There was a collective sigh of relief,” Bishop Phonsie Cullinan of Waterford and Lismore told The Irish Catholic. “I think the Faithful have been starved of the Eucharist since December 26 – that’s a long time.”
Bishop Tom Deenihan of Meath praised the hard work of volunteers in preparing for the return, adding that the Faithful were “anxious” to get back.
“The indications were that people were anxious to get back and quite a lot of people are prepared and willing and anxious to do what they can and make sure everything is done safely,” he said. “I think the volunteering is in place and people have been offering support.”
He welcomed the increase to 50 in the numbers that can attend funerals, saying that the isolation people have been feeling was “accentuated very much” in the case of bereavement.
Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin said the lockdown had been “tough”, and that “people have a longing because it’s not just about feeding the body, it’s about feeding the soul. It’s not just Eucharist, it’s actually gathering with people”.
Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross welcomed the return with joy, but said that it has been “frustrating that we’ve had to wait so long”.
“We want to do it securely and follow the health measures, but all of that comes at a price,” he said. “If you look at other parts of the world and Europe, they seemed to have managed even through the pandemic in a way that we didn’t.”
He added that for priests – whose public ministry has been limited to funerals and the occasional wedding – it means they can “become part of a bigger picture again”.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam said it was important to highlight the work of local volunteers. “I am indebted to pastoral councils for their great work,” he said.
“There is great excitement at the possibility of attending Mass again from next week. I share that excitement, as do priests everywhere…Now that we can begin to celebrate the Mass together again, there is a palpable air of hope, joy and excitement,” the archbishop told The Irish Catholic.
Bishop Paul Dempsey of Achonry praised what he described as the “tremendous generosity” of people in parishes.
In Killaloe, Bishop Fintan Monahan said that: “Fantastic work was done by the Covid committees in each parish and we are appealing to that generous effort and expertise once again.”
The Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy welcomed the return cautiously but warned that “complacency will be the enemy and we must not allow it to undo the good work”.
