Chai Brady
A Dublin priest was not in breach of any laws when he was distributing Communion after his online Masses, according to a law professor.
Fr Binoy Matthew co-PP of Mountview and Blakestown had been allowing people to come to the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hunstown during a two-hour window to receive Communion after he celebrated online Mass. He was told to stop by gardaí who said it was akin to an organised event and in breach of Covid regulations, according to the priest.
Legislation
Prof. Oran Doyle of Trinity College Dublin said that Covid legislation “does not currently prohibit or restrict religious services in general, although it does limit the number of people who can attend funerals”.
In March 2020, the Oireachtas passed an act giving the Minister for Health power to make regulations to help stop the spread of Covid, in particular, the act gave the minister the power to prohibit events or classes of events.
Although the act defines ‘event’ as meaning “a gathering of persons, whether the gathering is for cultural, entertainment, recreational, sporting, commercial, work, social, community, educational, religious or other reasons”, the minister made regulations that prohibit what they call ‘relevant events’.
Prof. Doyle said: “Crucially, the definition of ‘relevant event’ does not include events held for religious reasons. It is clear, therefore, that the minister has chosen not to prohibit events held for religious reasons. Therefore, there is no legal restriction on religious events.”
The Archdiocese of Dublin released a statement on February 5 asking priests not to distribute Communion before or after Mass.
The archdiocese said: “Under current restrictions all religious services continue to take place online. In the interest of health and safety priests and parishes ought not to distribute Holy Communion before or after Mass, in or outside churches.”
Gatherings
“Drive-in masses are not permitted as no gatherings of people outdoors or indoors are permitted. Churches remain open for private prayer only; liturgies and devotions (exposition of the blessed sacrament, rosary, stations of the cross) can take place in closed churches, online only.”
Previously speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Matthew said he was distributing Communion after Mass as “a way of keeping people sane in Ireland”.
“For some people religion means a lot and faith means a lot and this is a way of keeping in touch with them and lots of people have said they are very, very appreciative of what we were doing,” he said.