THE CONTROVERSIAL new Roman missal will be introduced in Ireland’s Catholic churches “on the first Sunday of Advent”, the Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady has said.
It will be introduced on November 27th, at the same time as Catholic churches throughout “the rest of the English-speaking world”.
Last week in Maynooth the new Association of Catholic Priests conveyed strong objections about translations in the new missal to bishops and asked that its introduction be deferred pending consultation with people and priests.
Also yesterday, both Cardinal Seán Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin denied a report that the Pope planned to visit Ireland for the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin next year.
Archbishop Martin added that Pope Benedict was “clearly committed to the path of renewal in the Irish church” and, whether he visited Ireland or not, “the process of renewal goes on”.
He said that, regardless, “we cannot have a fast track to healing”, where victims of abuse were concerned. He referred to what he himself said at the liturgy “of lament and repentance” in the pro-cathedral last month. At the event he said the archdiocese of Dublin would never be the same again. “It will always bear this wound within it. The archdiocese of Dublin can never rest until the day in which the last victim has found his or her peace and he or she can rejoice in being fully the person that God in his plan wants them to be.”
Asked about comments he made recently as to the inadequacy of his own talents and abilities where renewal of the church in Dublin was concerned, he said such talents and abilities were available among “the people who work with me” in the archdiocese. It was not a case of being reliant “on one’s own abilities”.
Both men were speaking in Dublin’s RDS yesterday at the launch of two initiatives in preparation for the 50th international congress, which takes place in Ireland from June 10th to June 17th, 2012.
It will also mark the 80th anniversary of the 1932 Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. But, as Cardinal Brady said yesterday, “we live in a different time now and I know that the organising committee will seek to reflect those different times in next year’s congress”. He hoped the congress would “assist renewal in the Catholic Church in Ireland . . . ”
Archbishop Martin said a Eucharistic Congress “is not a societal event. It is an ecclesial event, celebrated in faith.” Congress secretary general Fr Kevin Doran spoke of it as “an interior journey of renewal” which was also ecumenical and would involve other Christians who expressed an interest.
The Eucharistic Congress is hosted by a different country every four years and will begin at the RDS on June 10th, 2012. It will end with a ceremony in Croke Park on June 17th, which is expected to be attended by 80,000 people. Initiatives launched yesterday included a drive to recruit 3,000 volunteers to help with administration, hospitality, translation services and stewarding. Details at iec2012.ie
The second initiative concerned the congress bell, which will be blessed by Archbishop Martin on St Patrick’s Day before being taken to Armagh and from there, on foot, to all 26 Catholic dioceses in Ireland.
Congress general manager Anne Griffin said it was expected 12,000 international delegates would attend and that organisers would be entering talks with Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland where funding and preparation for these visitors were concerned.
- A service tomark the assembly of the 31st Dáil will begin tomorrow at 10am in St Ann's Church of Ireland Church on Dublin's Dawson Street. It will be attended by President Mary McAleese, taoiseach-elect Enda Kenny; ministers and ministers of State elect and newly elected TDs.
