ADF International, the lawyers who brought a successful case against Scotland’s ban on public worship, have released a new video and open letter detailing their campaign in Ireland.
“There is no clear reason as to why the Irish government prevented places of worship from opening for so long. Other European countries allowed religious worship to continue with safety precautions which protect both the public at religious services and the wider community,” said Lorcán Price, Irish barrister and Legal Counsel for ADF International.
“In Scotland, we saw the same disproportionate measures struck down by the top civil court as “unlawful”. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, protected by the Irish Constitution, and it’s vital that the Irish government recognise this. Irish people of faith were deprived of worship, of the sacraments, and of the hope that the church can offer at a time when they were most needed – at a time of crisis. The Irish government must show that it understands that communal worship is essential for many Irish people, and commit to never again imposing such a draconian ban,” continued Price.
“We know from the case of Canon Tom White in Scotland that the decision to completely ban public worship is an unlawful one. While I am very thankful that church doors will once again open in Ireland, this case remains important. Now more than ever, we need a clear decision from the court as to whether this draconian ban was ever justified in the first place. And it is also a critical moment for the future of faith in Ireland. The courts now have the opportunity to ensure that the community is never again deprived access to a place to meet with God and minister to the suffering at a time of need.”
It comes as news emerges of Switzerland overturning its ban on public worship emerges also.
ADF have posted an open letter which you can read below.
You can sign the open letter by clicking the link here.
An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD.
Dear Micheál Martin,
This year has been immensely difficult. As during so many trying times in Irish history, many rely on the hope of our faith. However, the possibility of living out our religious convictions through communal church worship was completely and disproportionately denied for most of the past 12 months. Your government passed a law that made attending Church in Ireland a criminal offence, with a potential sentence of imprisonment, simply for worshipping God.
Mr. Martin,
Your government has insisted that a blanket ban on public worship is necessary. Of course, we as people of faith recognise the importance of protecting the vulnerable from sickness. However, churches were treated unfairly in this decision in comparison to commercial shops. Dry-cleaners, bicycle shops and supermarkets have all been allowed to open with safety measures in place. Furthermore, all other western European countries permitted public religious worship to resume, long before the Irish government considered it. In Scotland, the same blanket ban was struck down by the court as unlawful.
Mr. Martin,
Religious freedom is one of our most precious and fundamental human rights. The Irish public have had a long history of respect for religious freedom as embedded in the text of the Constitution and the 1916 Proclamation. As you know, Article 44 of the Constitution of Ireland clearly underlines the importance of freedom of worship in law:
“The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion.”
Yet, the Irish government has not respected the exercise of religious freedom as an essential and fundamental right for almost a year. We are relieved that the government has finally agreed to lift its draconian ban on public worship, and that church services, including the Catholic mass, may resume at a limited capacity from May 10.
And yet, the disproportionate and unnecessary ban was never appropriately addressed by the government. Should another lockdown take place in future, the unfair ban could be reinstated at any moment.
With this in mind, Mr. Martin, we, the undersigned, call on you to make the following commitments:
Affirm respect for the fundamental right to freedom of religion, which is enshrined in Article 44 of the Constitution and protected in international human rights law;
Recognise that churches are an essential part of society;
Commit that your government will never again impose another blanket ban on public worship.
We await your response, for the sake of securing fundamental human rights in Ireland.
