Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Dublin to get `new' cathedral

Dublin will have a Catholic cathedral for the first time in almost 500 years under new plans being drawn up.

Under the proposal, the capital's 'Pro' Cathedral will be given the honour of being raised to a full cathedral to mark the 2012 Eucharistic Congress celebrations which the Vatican has announced will take place in Dublin.

The city has not had a Catholic cathedral since the 16th Century when clergy loyal to the Pope were expelled from Christchurch Cathedral following King Henry VIII's Reformation.

The current Pro-Cathedral, on Dublin's Marlborough Street, was only ever intended to be the temporary seat of the Archdiocese of Dublin.

A new cathedral was to be provided for after the anti-Catholic Penal laws were revoked.

However, no new cathedral materialised.

Now, one of the key recommendations being proposed to mark the Eucharistic Congress is to raise the building to full title of 'Cathedral' and make it the permanent seat of the Archdiocese.

Speaking on Tuesday, Archbishop Martin said he would like to renovate the cathedral but monies are tight.

Dedicated to Our Lady, the building was completed in 1825 pending the construction of a more fitting location and given the title Cathedral pro tempore (for the time being).

W. T. Cosgrave, President of the Executive Council of the Free State from 1922 to 1932, suggested that the burnt out shell of the General Post Office, the location of the 1916 Rising, be turned into a cathedral, but the idea was not acted on, and the GPO was restored for use as a post office.

Archbishop John Charles McQuaid bought the gardens in the centre of Merrion Square and announced plans to erect a cathedral there, but this plan was later dropped.

King Henry VIII established the Anglican Church of Ireland as the State Church of Ireland in 1536 and Christchurch has remained under Protestant control ever since.

The designation of St Mary's as a full cathedral would effectively end the Catholic Church's claim to Christchurch as the cathedral of the Archbishop loyal to Rome.
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(Source: IC)