Patsy McGarry
Religious Affairs
Correspondent
The Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and senior Catholic Church figures, are expected at Dublin Airport this morning to receive the remains of Archbishop Michael Courtney, due to arrive there at 10.20 a.m.. Archbishop Courtney, papal nuncio to Burundi, was murdered there on Monday.
Speaking about his death in Rome yesterday, Pope John Paul said: "Let us pray for him, hoping that his example and sacrifice will bring about the fruits of peace in Burundi and the world."
Hundreds of troops guarded the cathedral in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, on Wednesday as more than 1,000 people attended a funeral service for the Archbishop.
Meanwhile, the Forces for National Liberation rebel group told Archbishop Simon Ntamwana, president of Burundi's Catholic Bishops' Conference, to leave the country within 30 days after he accused them of the killing. He said he had no plans to leave.
Following a prayer service at Dublin airport's mortuary this morning the coffin will be taken to St Brendan's Cathedral, Loughrea, Co Galway, where Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. by Bishop John Kirby of Clonfert. Archbishop Courtney was a priest of that diocese. At 6 p.m. the remains will be taken to St Mary's Church, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, where a removal service takes place at 8 p.m.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon tomorrow by Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, who presided at Archbishop Courtney's consecration at St Mary's in November 2000. Burial will follow at the graveyard in nearby Dromineer, Co Tipperary.
The Catholic primate, Archbishop Seán Brady, yesterday recalled that "six weeks ago to the day (20th November, 2003) we met in Rwanda. Michael was in good form. He was convinced that the peace processes in Burundi and Rwanda were going well. At the same time he appeared tense and preoccupied," he said. "He has paid for his commitment to peace with his life," he said.
Also remembering Archbishop Courtney yesterday the Coadjutor Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, said: "May the fact that Archbishop Michael is now called to enjoy that special Sonship in Jesus console his family and renew us in our commitment to peace."
He recalled being in Burundi on a peace mission at Christmas 10 years ago. A year later the Archbishop of Gitega there was assassinated.
"Ten years later Archbishop Courtney has been slain and there is still no peace in that country, in that region.
"I have little doubt that if the families of Burundi and of the wider region of the African Great Lakes could get their voices into our newspaper headlines that they would say one thing: 'Stop the violence; block the arms which are keeping it alive; expose any connivance of outsiders which brings death to us and our children', " he said.