Young Catholics offer ‘prayers and support’ for archbishops’ meeting with Taoiseach

Aontú representative Becky Kealy delivered a letter of support to the bishops of Cork and Ross, and Cloyne, saying that “young people want Mass back”.

Ms Kealy said she delivered the letter after a group of young, practising Catholics contacted her to ask if she would submit a letter on their behalf.

“They wanted to let the bishops know that they do want the Mass back, and in support of the archbishops meeting with the Taoiseach and that they were praying about that meeting too,” she told The Irish Catholic.

Ms Kealy has been outspoken in her support for a return to public Masses, saying that many people, young and old, have contacted her about it.

“All this kicked off for me when there were talks that Cork may go into lockdown. My phone started hopping back then,” she said.

“People were saying if we’re going into level three we need our churches open. And many of the people who got onto me were young people, so I knew it wasn’t just the elderly being affected by it.”

No justification

The Aontú representative said that there is “no justification for the closure of churches”.

“The Churches have gone over and above following the guidelines, that’s the sacrifices that all the priests and parishioners make,” she said.

“There’s only one report that identifies a case that has been linked to a religious service. We can say with confidence that the church has never been the cause of some outbreak or cluster of the virus.”

Ms Kealy concluded by saying that it’s important for churches to open for the sake of people’s mental and spiritual wellbeing.

“It may be their only chance to get out in the day and it’s at times like this when people find themselves in the greatest peril, that they look for spiritual solace.”