At the end of a press conference on Monday, Taoiseach in Waiting Leo Varadkar (who will resume his former post when Micheal Martin’s run comes to an end soon) uttered ‘They’re off’, when asked about Communions and Confirmations that some families had been waiting a year for. The evident insensitivity towards Catholic families was reflected in a bizarre follow up interview the morning after, when Varadkar told State Media that cinemas were safe, but that Communions and Confirmations were ‘linked to superspreader events’. This is completely untrue, as not a single outbreak has been linked to a Catholic church in Ireland. If the argument is that people might have parties afterwards, then what next? Cancel coverage of the Euros on tv? Cancel birthdays? Weddings are proceeding lest we forget.
Getting away from focusing on Varadkar too closely, the Irish government appears to be in complete chaos.
Remarkably, despite the picketing of a Catholic church by members of his party in Ballyfermot last week, it was Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould who spoke first, saying:
I want to take this opportunity to raise a particular issue. In the Taoiseach's report, he discussed the Covid-19 crisis. In the scale of things, the following might not be a big issue but I have been contacted by many people last night and today who are very upset. They are the parents of children, and they are very angry and frustrated about how the cancellation of confirmations and communions was communicated. An off-the-cuff remark by the Tánaiste at the end of a press conference is not good enough. People have spent the year calling for clarity and clear communication. When announcements such as that made yesterday are being made it is important these communications are made clearly and correctly in order that we do not have people not knowing what is happening. Events have been organised for schools in Cork on Monday and Tuesday and parents have contacted me, as have parish priests. They are going ahead and no one has given them clarity. It is unfair and disrespectful to people who are following all the public health guidelines and the Government's timeline. There needs to be clarity on this.
Peter Fitzpatrick then said:
Another upsetting aspect is the fact that first holy communions and confirmations are not permitted to go ahead. This beggars belief. I have been inundated with calls from angry clergy, school principals and parents all week as a result of this ridiculous situation. I know families that have cancelled holidays and got everything ready so that their loved ones could make their first holy communion or confirmation. It is a ridiculous situation when there are large churches around the country that could take 1,000 or 1,500 people. I heard the Tánaiste this morning mention that he loved going to the cinema and that there would be four or five seats between people, yet he will not let children have their first holy communions and confirmations. It is a disgrace.
Government TD Jim O’Callaghan implored the government to find a solution.
I would like to deal with a specific issue raised with me repeatedly by constituents who have sent me emails yesterday and today, which concerns the cancellation or postponement of confirmations and communions. They had already been postponed on a number of occasions. I was speaking with one grandmother today who told me her granddaughter had to have clothes bought again for her since she had grown out of the clothes that had been bought for the previous planned communion. I would ask that the Government could look at this. There must be creative ways by which this matter can be resolved in order that we can facilitate such communions and confirmations. We are all aware of what we are told is the risk in respect of statistics and modelling by NPHET but it is the responsibility of the Government to come up with solutions for issues such as this. These are very important social development issues for people in our society and we must be seen to try to facilitate them
Others such as Mattie McGrath also spoke out.
One priest claimed that he would not comply with Varadkar’s ‘off the cuff remarks’, if his bishop allowed him.
Bishops are now currently releasing statements advising priests and parishioners that events are postponed.
This was the document released by the Bishop of Meath:
As you will be aware, Government has, once again, decreed that the celebration of the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion should not proceed at this time. The decision was, according to the Tanaiste, based on the recommendation of NPHET. However, today’s newspapers report that Dr. Tony Houlihan informed members of Dail Eireann yesterday that he never requested that Confirmations and First Holy Communions be postponed. That has added to the sense of confusion and anger amongst callers to the Diocesan Office.
This decision by Government is a source of much disappointment to the young people who have been preparing for and looking forward to the various ceremonies. It is a source of disappointment to their parents, teachers and clergy too who have been involved in preparing them for an important moment in their faith. The proximity of the cancellation to the actual ceremony, which was based on previous Government advice, means that parents have days off planned and other expenses have been incurred.
It is of some surprise that while Government officials have indicated that churches are safe, their concern is what happens afterwards in relation to domestic and other settings. I am confident that, at this juncture, parents know what is safe, will not want to put their families at risk and should be trusted in relation to what happens in their own home.
The Church is in a difficult position in this regard. While there is a temptation to ignore Government on religious worship and the celebration of the sacraments, and many have encouraged such a course of action, that would cause concern to some parents too and would politicise the Sacraments, something which, I believe, should be avoided at all costs.
Once again, despite having a schedule devised for Confirmation in the Diocese starting next week, I find myself in the troubling and regrettable position of having to cancel.
This is a political decision that was made without consultation with Church authorities. I remain troubled that any Government or Government minister can cancel the celebration of religious worship or the Sacraments while, crucially, saying at the same time that what happens within a church is safe. This goes to the heart of freedom of worship.
All religious authorities have worked hard to ensure that whatever happens in places of worship is safe. The parishes of this diocese, through the voluntary work of parishioners, have responded generously, courageously and at some cost to ensure that all ceremonies are conducted in accordance with safety measures for the protection of public health.
This is the right, necessary and prudent thing to do. It is unreasonable to ban Sacraments for everyone on the basis of what might happen in some cases afterwards. Such measures have not been applied across any other sector of society. Other places have either been closed or can open based on what happens within those places. The Church seeks no more and no less.
Many people have been contacting this office and the various parishes expressing concern and seeking information. In the light of Dr. Houlihan’s clarification, I would suggest that such calls are directed towards the politicians who made this decision. In the meantime, be assured that the important Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation will be celebrated as soon as possible in the Diocese. The celebration of Baptism will proceed in this diocese subject to the pastoral judgement of the local clergy, minimum numbers and public health precautions.
The document references the interesting thing about all of this, that the National Public Health Emergency Team are now apparently claiming that they did not advise the government to postpone Communions and Confirmations.
Equally interesting, is the fact that the government appears to have updated its document on public health measures yesterday to include Communions and Confirmations after they had been absent from the original message.
gov.ie - Public health measures that will come into place from 5 July (www.gov.ie)
The Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, said that the communication of these changes was ‘disrespectful’ and a ‘complete reversal’ of earlier promises.
It is worth noting, that Irish society at large has accepted the strictest and least productive lockdown measures in Europe without any real resistance. Those who are angry at the bishops are missing this fact, there is much public disgruntlement but very little genuine appetite for ending restrictions.
It is also worth noting, that the spiritual element of the sacraments has long since been lost in celebrations.
Robert Nugent’s video, discussing how 80% of kids who get First Holy Communion don’t return the next week, is food for thought and perhaps a reminder that sometimes God permits such things to be withheld for a time for our own good.
