Cathal BarryA senior politician has defended the right of RTÉ to broadcast the Angelus as a “moment of reflection”.
Speaking in the Dáil, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin insisted that it was not possible to “excise out of existence Christian beliefs and the need for reflection”.
“I would have believed that what now stands for the Angelus, the moment of reflection before the Six One News, is not exactly injurious or offensive to anyone,” he said.
Mr Martin also accused Atheist Ireland of “overdoing it” in their attempt to have the Angelus bells replaced with a broadcast that was “religiously neutral”.
Balance
Stating that there is “a need for balance in the public debate”, Mr Martin said: “One runs the risk of becoming offensive and intolerant of the various manifestations of spirituality and religion in the country.
“I would accept the bona fides expressed in the debate on the more substantive issues but when the debate focuses on such micro elements, it offends many people,” he said.
Mr Martin’s comments come after the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) ruled it is totally defensible to retain the 18 peals of the Angelus bell during the moment of reflection, as well as continuing to call it the Angelus.