An “avalanche” of baptisms is due in the Traveller community of Dublin archdiocese due to the Baptism ban.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Fr Paul O’Driscoll of the Parish of the Travelling People said the large number of coming baptisms is because “Traveller families tend to be larger than general”.
As well as this, “there would also be a tradition of not waiting too long”. That’s the culture, according to Fr O’Driscoll, “that the Christenings would happen quite soon after birth”.
Acute pain is “felt, but understood” in the Traveller community, he said, because “the present circumstances are unprecedented”.
“The Dublin diocese have the largest concentration of population, so that is the reason behind that decision, because the liturgical celebration naturally leads to social celebration, and that’s very understandable, very much a family event,” Fr O’Driscoll said.
“The concern behind the present situation is that the bulk of the population are not yet inoculated.”