Ireland: Politicians speak out about attacks on Catholic churches

St Peter & St Paul Church, Ballyduff, Kerry

Throughout the second half of 2022, there were several attacks on Catholic churches in the United States following the Supreme Court over-turning the Roe v Wade decision on abortion. We read about ongoing attacks on Catholics attending Mass in Nigeria and other countries. There are about 100 attacks each year on religious buildings, churchyards or cemeteries in Northern Ireland.

Attacks on churches in the Republic of Ireland are now happening. For example, on the evening of 30 December last CCTV recorded three women in the 20s entering St Peter and St Paul Church in the small village of Ballyduff in Co Kerry and setting an altar cloth alight. On 8 January, Mass in St Augustine's Church in Cork City centre was disrupted by a man playing a guitar and a woman screaming during a reading.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Peadar Tóibín TD, Leader of Aontú (Ireland's fastest growing political movement) decried these attacks saying they don't happen by accident. "There is hardly a day in Leinster House or in the media that there isn't some kind of verbal attack or casual slur on the Catholic Church" he said. "I have no problem with accountability and critical analysis of any organisation. But the sheer volume and repetition of a negative message no doubt seeps into people's views and attitudes and leads to this kind of horrendous attacks. The south of Ireland is for many Catholics a cold house where they feel they have to hide their faith", he concluded.

Michael McNamara TD told the paper that there are regular attacks by TDs on the Catholic Church "in the name of tolerance. I have found it's often those who have a 'be kind' moniker on social media who can engage in the most vitriolic criticism and the same can be true in the Dail. It's sometimes those who call for tolerance who can be the least tolerant. We all need to be careful in our rhetoric."

Mentioning all the good work that priests and nuns do in Ireland and elsewhere, Michael Healy-Rae TD, said some politicians choose to forget all about that. "They have a chip on their shoulder and of course it leads to a lack of respect for the Church, and then is it any wonder when people go in and burn things at the altar or when they damage property" he told the paper.

Senator Sharon Keoghan said the Church is a very valuable group within society and "I think the lack of respect that's being shown to the Church over the last decade has certainly allowed this type of anger to be amplified and that's why maybe we're getting the incidents we're seeing today. It's very, very sad because the Church has always been a place of sanctuary, a place of peace, a place of prayer. It's encouraging people into churches that we need to be doing".

Modern political ideology is strongly opposed to Catholic values and traditions on social issues whilst the mainstream media consistently criticise the church and religion in general. As Peader Tóibín said: "The south of Ireland is for many Catholics a cold house where they feel they have to hide their faith". Sadly, that is the Ireland of today. Appreciation to The Irish Catholic for covering this story.

(Matt Moran is a writer and author living in Co. Cork. His latest book - "The Theology of Integral Human Development: The Role of Faith in International Development and Public Affairs" - is available at: www.buythebook.ie).