An “aggressive secular” agenda has driven a Government decision to
restrict members of the Defence Forces from participating in Masses and
other religious ceremonies, a Fianna Fáil senator has claimed.Senator Jim Walsh insists that there has been “a clear change in policy”.
He said that at the 1916 commemoration ceremony at Arbour Hill in Dublin on May 8, “the Defence Forces were denied the opportunity to participate in the Mass” due to a decision by the Government.
“A similar situation occurred on Easter Sunday at the commemoration in New Ross,” Senator Walsh told The Irish Catholic.
“This commences with Mass in our parish church and the colour party from the local civil defence is always in attendance.
“This year for the first time they were denied permission to attend and I assume that direction came from the Department or from the Minister, Alan Shatter,” Senator Walsh said.
Aggressive
“This signifies an aggressive secular agenda. These changes are being made by stealth by those ideologically driven.
“People need to come to an awareness of these subtle changes. They are being done gradually and serve no purpose other than to discriminate against Christianity and Catholicism.”
Senator Walsh said he would like the reasons for such a change in policy to be revealed by the Department of Defence, and to “ultimately see the situation reversed”.
Demeaning
Mr Walsh described the move as “demeaning to those people who gave their lives during 1916 and the War of Independence so that we would enjoy the freedom we do today and that we have the freedom to be Members of this House [Seanad Eireann] and articulate views and policies on behalf of the Irish people”.
Asked about the apparent shift in policy, a spokesperson for the Department of Defence told The Irish Catholic that “any requests for participation by the Defence Forces in non-military events must be submitted to the Department of Defence for approval”.
“Such requests are examined by the Department on a case by case basis but there is no overarching prohibition or restriction on appropriate military involvement in religious events,” she said.