Mass in a Dublin church was interrupted yesterday by a parishioner who objected to a sermon which she felt was "an apologia for Brendan Smyth". Author and journalist Helen Lucy Burke was at 10 a.m. Mass in the chapel in Glasnevin cemetery, taken by the parish priest, Father Kevin Kennedy. During his sermon he discussed the subject of Smyth and, according to Ms Burke, denounced what he described as "gloating headlines" in relation to the paedophile priest's death.
She told The Irish Times Father Kennedy said that we should not judge Smyth, only God could do that. One "gloating headline" amounted to a curse, he said, and a curse was a mortal sin. It would come back to haunt those who wrote it, and their latter days would be filled with remorse.
"I waited for words of compassion for the victims," she said. "There were none. One woman walked out."
Ms Burke said she then walked up to the altar and addressed the priest, saying what he had said was an apologia for Smyth. "I said it would be seemlier if there was a word of compassion for his victims. I said that `rot in hell' were the words of a victim and, whether I agreed with it or not, I could understand the person who said it. The congregation applauded.
"After Mass a man who congratulated me said that Father Kennedy had preached the same sermon in Iona Road church at an earlier Mass yesterday."
Father Kennedy confirmed that one of his parishioners had got up at Mass and spoken in public. Asked to confirm the contents of his sermon he said: "I'd rather not comment." Asked if he was happy about what he had said he replied: "Absolutely."
The time and date of the burial of Smyth have not yet been decided because the necessary examination has not been completed by the Department of Justice, it has emerged.
There has to be a coroner's report into every death in custody. It is expected that this report will be completed today and the body will then be released for burial.
He will be buried in a private ceremony at Kilnacrott Abbey, Co Cavan, home of the Norbertine order, of which he was a member. This follows a discussion between the order and Smyth's family, The Irish Times has learned. A source close to the order indicated that from a Christian point of view respecting the wishes of the family was seen as a priority at this time.
While Smyth will be buried in the grounds of the Norbertine abbey, this does not indicate that he was in good standing with the order at the time of his death. Last year he had been relieved of all canonical functions by the order.
It is understood that it had also initiated a canonical disciplinary process against him, and this was being sent to the appropriate Vatican disciplinary committee. However, it could not be proceeded with until the criminal action was over, as the material from that action was part of the charge against him.