Half of Ireland’s bishops and archbishops have given the go-ahead for priests to perform communions and confirmations this month in breach of public health guidelines.
The health service yesterday said that the sacraments and social gatherings that follow have “consistently” been a hotspot for Covid-19 outbreaks during the pandemic and appealed to the church to continue following public health advice.
Micheál Martin, the taoiseach, said earlier this week that he does not approve of the “unilateral breach” of Covid-19 guidelines. He said that the guidelines were in place to protect public health and should be “accepted in good faith”.
Public health measures do not permit first holy communions and confirmations. It states new advice allowing them to go ahead will be published when “it is safe to do so”.
Of the 24 archdioceses and diocese in the Republic, 12 have said they plan to resume the ceremonies this month. There are also two in Northern Ireland where communions and confirmations have been permitted as long as it allows for social distancing.
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Of the four archdiocese in Ireland, three are allowing parishes to perform communion and confirmation from the middle of this month including the Archbishops of Armagh, Dublin, and Tuam. The Archbishop of Cashel and Emly has postponed the events until September.
Of the 20 dioceses in the Republic, nine are allowing the celebration of the sacraments including the bishops of Clogher, Meath, Raphoe, Killaloe, Waterford and Lismore, Kilmore and Elphin.
Father Jim Moore from the diocese of Cloyne saidthat parishes will be granted the power to decide whether they feel it is safe to perform the celebration of the sacraments. “It appears that most are happy to wait until September but some smaller rural parishes may proceed later in August, adhering to the public health guidelines,” he said.
The diocese of Ferns has also left the decision up to individual parishes. The Rev John Carroll said the ceremonies hold a “very important place” in the lives of families, teachers and young people. “Where a church community is of the view that it wishes to proceed, the priest is asked to forward a request — with an agreed and demonstrably Covid safe plan — to the Bishop’s House for consideration,” Carroll said.
He said that “unity and safety” within a parish is “vital” during this period and asked priests to recognise the anxiety of some parishioners regarding gatherings. “The diocese also records afresh its gratitude and admiration to all who have worked so diligently and courageously at the front line since the beginning of the pandemic.”
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Colm Burke, the Fine Gael TD and health spokesman, said he did not understand why churches could not wait until September. “That’s the main question I have, what difference does it make?” he said. “We still have people in ICU, in hospital, and the vaccine rollout is really picking up. By next month we are looking at 90 per cent of the adult population having at least one dose. Why can’t they wait?”
Burke said the church has a part to play in encouraging people to follow public health advice and said there are concerns that its defiance will influence parishioners to follow suit. “We can not lose sight of this. We are not out of the pandemic yet,” he said.
Niamh O’Beirne, the HSE lead on contact tracing, said yesterday that throughout the pandemic outbreaks have often been traced back to communions and confirmations. As with weddings and funerals, the cases are not necessarily linked to the church but to the socialising with friends and family afterwards.
Several bishops have decided to postpone the ceremonies until government restrictions and public health advice changes. Father Michael Keohane, from the diocese of Cork and Ross, said there are no “immediate plans” to resume the sacraments and said Bishop Fintan Gavin will keep the topic under review.
Paul Dempsey, Bishop of Achonry, said in a statement that no communions or confirmation had been planned for this month so they will remain postponed until next month. Dempsey added: “In the meantime, may we continue to keep vigilant around the virus so that we can emerge out of this difficult time safe and well.”
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Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin and interim bishop for Ossory, said in a statement yesterday that he watched “with pride” as queues of young people got their vaccines and that “better days” are within touching distance. Nulty added: “In this context, and in a recognition of the great sacrifice we have all already undertaken, I am asking parishes to continue to abide by current official guidelines.”
The diocese of Clonfert is also postponing the sacraments until next month. The Bishop of Ardagh and Bishop of Limerick have not yet made a decision but said they intend to update parishioners within the next week. The diocese of Derry, the diocese of Kerry, the diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, and the diocese of Killala did not respond in time for publication.
Stephen Donnelly, the health minister, has urged clergy to follow current measures which are in place to “ultimately to keep people alive”. Charlie McConalogue, the agriculture minister, added that no one is “going to hurt by waiting a little bit longer” and that people are still contracting Covid-19 and being hospitalised.
Andrew Madden, a survivor of clerical abuse, accused bishops of placing children at risk of “reckless endangerment. Again.” He said it was clear some bishops are “now encouraging people to ignore health and safety”.