The Irish Catholic readers have added their voice to a debate about whether the Angelus should stop being broadcast on Irish television.
In an online poll, which racked up almost 1,500 votes, 94% of voters said the Angelus should continue to be broadcast on RTÉ, while only 6% said it should be stopped.
The poll comes in the wake of last week’s referendum which saw voters opt by a margin of almost 2-1 to remove the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution. Following this precedent, some politicians have claimed RTÉ should stop broadcasting The Angelus to be more reflective of a pluralist Ireland.
The Irish Catholic poll results reflect RTÉ’s official Presidential Election Poll which revealed that 68% of voters said they would keep the Angelus, while 21% declared that they would stop it.
One voter commented: “The Angelus is a lovely pause before the news – it can be used for prayer if wished. There are precious few reflective pauses in a busy day. It is called the Angelus because it is the Angelus. Christmas has a Christian origin whether you follow Christ or not. No one is forced to pray. It is not a swastika or burning cross. There is nothing offensive about it.”