A priest whose homily went viral this week has asked the bishops to speak up about the restriction to public worship currently in place in Ireland.
Fr Seán Mulligan of Carrickmacross Parish gave a homily last Sunday which unexpectedly went viral overnight in Catholic internet circles. In it, he criticised the extent to which the Covid-19 measures restrict freedom of worship, even when it is done as safely as possible in the midst of the current pandemic.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Mulligan expressed his surprise at the distances his homily has reached. “I’m not on social media, so I haven’t seen the reaction to it,” he said, continuing, “the homily was intended for the parishioners, those tuning into the Mass.”
However, the message resonated with many of the Faithful in Ireland, with a video of the homily shared widely on Facebook and Twitter. “A lot of people have been expressing concern for what’s happening,” Fr Mulligan shared. “Many people have their whole life centred around the sacraments, and that’s been taken from them.”
He explained that he couldn’t remain silent on the issue of religious restrictions, especially when the religious persecution in the country’s past is considered: “I don’t want to dishonour the memory of the men, women, and children who died for freedom from religious persecution by remaining silent. “With the stroke of a pen, the Government can abolish that [right to worship],” he said.
Turning to the bishops, he said “They’re not going to listen to me, a priest in Carrickmacross. We need that voice coming from the bishops, the authority in the Church.”
“They’re the shepherds,” he said.
The Irish people are being denied their constitutional right to practice their Faith in public