Clare TD Michael McNamara Ruadhán Jones and Jason Osborne
Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan has described the Government’s decision to criminalise people attending Mass as “foolish” and warned that it sets a “worrying precedent”.
It comes as politicians from all sides have stepped up pressure on the Government in the Republic to permit people to return to Mass as soon as current restrictions are eased.
The Irish Catholic revealed at the weekend that the Government now considers either a priest celebrating Mass at which parishioners can attend or worshippers are present to be committing an offence punishable by the law.
The revelation came in correspondence to Declan Ganley who is taking a High Court challenge against the ban on Mass.
Bishop Deenihan told The Irish Catholic that while he had not seen the response made by the State to Mr Ganley, “what was reported was of grave concern”.
He said it “establishes a worrying precedent with regards to religious freedom and religious worship”.
“Will future Governments also criminalise religious worship?” Bishop Deenihan asked.
“It might be more prudent of the Government to acknowledge the sacrifice and loss of these Catholics who have been unable to attend Mass for nine of the past thirteen months than to seek to criminalise them,” Dr Deenihan added.
“No other country,” he added, “has suffered such restrictions on religious worship for so long and courts throughout the world have thrown out such attempts as being unconstitutional or in contravention of human rights.”
The Government’s position contradicts earlier assurances by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly who insisted that Mass was not a penal offence.
Independent TD Michael McNamara said he now believes the minister “misled the Dáil and either hadn’t read the regulations or was misled by his officials or both”.
“That in itself is very serious given that it’s the minister who makes the regulations,” Mr McNamara told The Irish Catholic. “A minister who doesn’t know what he’s doing when he’s interfering with fundamental rights is a very serious proposition in a democracy.”
Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath joined Mr McNamara in criticising the legislation, calling the penalising of public worship “outrageous” and “totally anti-Christian”.
Meanwhile, Independent TD Carol Nolan has written to the minister asking him to correct the record.
TDs and senators also pressed the Taoiseach and Tánaiste on public worship at their respective parliamentary party meetings.