A Galway priest has said it is time Good Friday is “reclaimed for the Church”. Fr Stephen Farragher, who is administrator of Tuam Cathedral, said Irish businesses and industries should observe the solemnity of Good Friday, which he claimed their continental and South American counterparts did.
“In many mainland European countries, Good Friday is still observed with street processions in the afternoon especially in Italy, parts of Germany and Spain.”
“It is also marked with street processions in many parts of South America,” he added.
Fr Farragher said there was a need to reclaim the “sacred space” of Good Friday, recalling that previously, the day was “sacrosanct” and any businesses which did open closed by 3 pm.
“But this all seems to be changing and more premises are falling into the trap of remaining open all day,” he observed.
He said that while he believed there should also be greater observance of the other ‘sacred times’ of Holy Week, such as Holy Thursday and Easter Saturday.
“Holy Saturday night was a favoured time for adult baptisms for the first seven or eight centuries of the Church and we still like to have a few baptisms in the Church on Holy Saturday night when possible”.
He said that Holy Saturday had become busier even in sporting circles and this year an All-Ireland colleges’ semi-final between schools in Tuam and Killarney was scheduled for that day.
But he said, “Good Friday afternoon in particular should be observed more and less commercialised”.
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