Protestant churches face a day of reckoning with North’s inquiry into mother and baby homes

A Northern Ireland investigation into mother and baby homes will bring the conduct of Protestant churches properly under the spotlight for the first time.

Since the early 1990s, the treatment of young women in Ireland, unmarried, pregnant, alone, has been seen through a Catholic lens – one that has been rightly unforgiving for the Catholic Church’s past sins and failings.

However, the Church of Ireland, Presbyterians and Methodists are now facing their own Via Dolorosa, as a full public inquiry into the operation of mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland is to get under way, perhaps as early as this year.

Between 1922 and 1990, some 10,000 young women were held in such homes across Northern Ireland or had their babies in private nursing homes, with their children usually adopted afterwards.

“In the North, there has been an assumption that this is a Catholic issue, something propelled by television coverage, or films such as Cillian Murphy’s film [Small Things Like These], or the one about Magdalene Laundries,” says Prof Sean O’Connell of Queen’s University Belfast.

The majority of those held in such homes across Northern Ireland came from a Protestant background, and their babies were given up for adoption to Protestant families, in Northern Ireland, the Republic, or elsewhere.

Born in Manchester to Irish parents from Galway and Westmeath, in 2021 O’Connell co-wrote the Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland 1922-1990 report, alongside Prof Leanne McCormick.

In reality, out-of-wedlock pregnancies knew no sectarian boundaries: “Getting pregnant wasn’t a Catholic issue, or a Protestant issue, and the majority then was Protestant, they were around 70 per cent of the [Northern] population,” says O’Connell.

“Protestant evangelical clergy were just as keen to call out unmarried motherhood as sinful and as immoral and as outside respectability as their Catholic counterparts,” O’Connell says.

For all the flaws of the investigations in the Republic, such inquiries have allowed people south of the Border to face up to past failings in the way that has not yet happened in Northern Ireland.

“The survivors of mother and baby institutions and Magdalene Laundries who’ve gone public in Northern Ireland – they’re all from Catholic backgrounds, they were all in Catholic institutions,” O’Connell adds.

“Protestant victims and survivors haven’t come forward to the same degree,” he says, recalling a journalist’s comment that his readers would not be interested in the issue “because it wasn’t really a Protestant story”.

With McCormick, O’Connell co-chairs Northern Ireland’s Truth Recovery Independent Panel, which is carrying out a truth recovery investigation talking to those affected by mother and baby homes, the laundries, or workhouses.

The panel has no legal powers, but it is preparing the way for a full statutory inquiry next year, following recommendations from a 2021 report carried out by Deirdre Mahon, Maeve O’Rourke and Phil Scraton.

The scale of the recommendations caused surprise, but the then First Minister of Northern Ireland Paul Girvan and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill’s decision to accept them fully caused even more, especially among Stormont officials.

“They were completely accepted by the Northern Ireland Executive, quite amazingly and brilliantly,” says Maria Cogley, one of three survivors who are members of the 10-strong panel.

The Republic’s investigations into institutions, though they have the credit of having happened earlier, offer instruction, nevertheless, in how damaged people should not be dealt with by inquiries, says O’Connell.

He argues the 2013 report into the Magdalene Laundries led by Martin McAleese, former senator and husband of former president Mary McAleese, failed to value the testimony of the women held in them. “You have to get to Chapter 19, I think, before any of them are quoted.

“That’s pretty amazing given that they are the women about whom the report had been written, and then they get presented in such a way that you can’t follow their stories,” he says.

Equally, he argues, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, published in Dublin in January 2021, was flawed, since it did not find “evidence of abuses or mistreatments”, even though it carried testimony from survivors alleging exactly that.

“Then there was the fine line between the different types of testimony and the forums in which it was given. If it was given one way then it wasn’t counted in terms of the official report, et cetera, et cetera,” he says.

“People gave testimony not knowing what was going to happen to it. And that testimony disappeared,” he says. “People were told it had been deleted, so there was no informed consent.”

People going before the Northern investigation are given a number of pledges: “We’re going to record your testimony. We’re going to keep the audio unless you want us to delete it. If you want us to delete it, we will delete it.

“The transcript will be used by the independent panel. If you want it to go to the public inquiry, it will go there. If you want, the transcripts and/or the audio will go into an archive. Then, it’s there for history.

“It’s your transcript, your testimony. It can be done with your name, or anonymously. Either way. Obviously, most people are choosing anonymity, but some want to be named,” he says.

If the survivor wants to be identified, then redactions will be made to the transcript and the audio to “take out other people’s names”, he says, because “we can’t be identifying other people like that”.

Soon, the panel will seek the thoughts of survivors about the shape of the archive. Should it be part of the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, or “in a separate building, with a separate staff?

“It’s about informing people at every stage, about trying to give them a sense of empowerment, as much as we can,” he says, adding that counselling is being offered to survivors.

Support from qualified staff is needed when survivors look at their own records, because “there might be things that they don’t like when they see words written down about themselves, or their mother. People can be disappointed when there’s just a few lines about something really significant in their lives, such as their adoption. They can feel upset and dismayed by that,” he adds.

Today, O’Connell is a six-year veteran of such work: “We’re dealing often with traumatised people. You have to try and get beyond that and build a rapport with them. Sometimes, they’ll say things that annoy people.”

So far, the team, which was appointed in April 2023 and began collecting testimony in February 2024, has collected 100 testimonies, including drawing on some of the work that was done for the 2021 report, and it has until next October to finish its investigation.

Currently, the panel is offering advice to people who were adopted from such homes about finding their own records: “Who’s the gatekeeper? How do you go to them? What kind of letter should you write? What do they do if they say ‘No’?” he goes on.

For Cogley, this deeply matters. Her mother was from north Belfast. Faced with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, she had been sent in 1969 to the nearby Marianvale mother and Baby home run by the Good Shepherd nuns.

Ten days after her birth, Cogley was removed from her mother and placed with adoptive parents. Fifty years on, she still does not know the full details of her birth and subsequent adoption.

Despite the challenges, Cogley built a great life for herself, earning university degrees and working as a primary school teacher for 25 years. However, her brother Paul, who was also adopted, Paul was not so lucky.

“I know he was trafficked across the Border. He ended up in Fahan Children’s Home in Donegal, run by the Sisters of Nazareth, an institution that was excluded from the commission report [in the Republic] on redress schemes.

“It was pretty much used as a holding centre for babies. Considerable numbers in Northern Ireland have discovered that they spent time in Fahan and were adopted in the South or adopted back into Northern Ireland.

“That was the case for my brother. He was adopted back into Belfast,” says Cogley, who says that her brother “struggled” throughout his life before dying by suicide in his 30s.

His story is typical of many others, since he was born in a private nursing home in Belfast. These were often used by wealthier families wanting more comfortable surroundings for a birth, or by those with money who wanted to hide one.

“I tried to get his records. I did discover his birth certificate. On it, it says he was born in an address that I didn’t recognise in north Belfast. When I did a little bit of research, it turned out to be a private nursing home.

“A certain amount of tenacity is required to discover these things by yourself,” she says. “There was a covert operation that went on both North and South. Why put just an address on a birth cert rather than the name of a nursing home?

“The whole kind of process was set up for secrecy,” she goes on, emphasising that the independent panel is trying to make people aware that there are ways in which they can track down information.

Such work is far from easy. Adoption records in Northern Ireland are held in different places: there are five health and social care trusts, three voluntary adoption agencies, and numerous religious orders.

However, the main problem is court records. Stormont’s Department of Justice does not know where many of the documents are stored, while different courts, inexplicably, operate different rules.

“There are courthouses here where you can go in and view your adoption file. You can’t take it away, but you can view it. But in Belfast, for example, you can’t do that. You can only do it via a social worker.

“I applied for mine. The only way I could see my adoption records was via a social worker. She was able to write down what was in it and tell me what was in it, but she couldn’t take copies or show them to me,” she says.

So far, large numbers of people, now adults, but who were born in mother and baby homes across Northern Ireland, or adopted through them, and who now live in the Republic, Britain, or elsewhere, have not yet discovered the story of their past.

One woman now living in the US found that she was born in Northern Ireland and taken South: “She had three birth certificates, one from here, one from the Republic and one in the USA,” says O’Connell.

Urging others to come forward, he says: “People filled out forms to take butter across the Border then, but babies were moved over and back. Some very unusual things happened.”

* The decision to accept recommendations about the scope of the investigation in Mother and Baby Homes was taken by the then First Minister Paul Girvan and Deputy First Minister, Michelle, and not by Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly

Holy Land Co-ordination to visit Jerusalem in January

The Co-ordination of Bishops' Conferences in Support of the Church in the Holy Land, better known as the Holy Land Co-ordination (HLC), is to resume its annual pilgrimage of solidarity to the Holy Land, which did not take place this past year due to the tragic attacks of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

A delegation of twelve bishops, including two bishops from England and Wales, is set to travel to Jerusalem from 18-23 January.

A pilgrimage of solidarity  with Christians enduring war in the Holy Land

Created in the late 1990s, the Holy Land Co-ordination is organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) and brings together bishops from across Europe, North America and South Africa. Their action is focused on four Ps: Presence, Prayer, Pilgrimage, and Pressure.  

“Pilgrimage” is the most important part of the meeting, in which the bishops sometimes also meet local political leaders. The bishops go to the Holy Land to let the local Christian communities know they are not forgotten; to pray with them; to encourage pilgrimage to their land; and to advocate on their behalf in their respective countries.

"You are not forgotten"

As the war between Hamas and Israel continues unabated with its toll of death and destruction, the bishops of the Coordination now feel all the more urgently the need to go and be in solidarity with Christians of the Holy Land and all who have suffered since October 7. 

“The devastation of war and suffering in the Holy Land is heart-breaking and the need for prayer, support, and to find ways to end the violence has never been more urgent,” explains Bishop Nicholas Hudson, the Chair of the CBCEW’s Department for International Affairs and the Moderator of the HLC.

“As Christians, we are called to be in solidarity with those who suffer and to say, ‘We are with you. You are not forgotten’”

Recalling Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa’s words during his recent four-day visit to London, Bishop Hudson highlighted the crucial role Christians can play to help bring about reconciliation and a longstanding peace in the region.

Working for reconcilation in broken communities

In his homily in Westminster Cathedral for the First Sunday of Advent, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem spoke of the special vocation of Christians in the Holy Land to work to bring communities back together and to rebuild relationships which have been broken by hatred and mutual fear.

“Our visit in January 2025 will bea time to reaffirm our bond of communion with the Church in the Holy Land, and with all who suffer and are without hope,” said Bishop Hudson who offered a special prayer calling for the Holy Spirit to guide its people into the ways of peace, truth and reconciliation.

“Heavenly Father, we pray this Christmas for all who suffer in the Land which your Son made Holy by his birth and life and dying and rising for us. May the Lord Jesus hold them in his Sacred Heart. Send forth again your Spirit to renew the face of the Holy Land and guide its people into the ways of peace and truth and reconciliation. We make this prayer through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

Cardinal Zenari expresses cautious optimism for Syria’s future

As Syria begins  the new year without its ousted President Bashar al-Assad, Cardinal Mario Zenari feels cautiously optimistic about the future of the country after fifty years of dictatorship and thirteen years of a bloody civil war.

Speaking to Vatican News, the Italian Apostolic Nuncio,  said some recent developments offer reasons for hope though, he warned, it remains to be seen if the new leadership’s promises will be followed by concrete actions.

Mixture of hope and apprehension

On 31 December the new strong man of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, met in Damascus with Christian leaders in the context of increasing concerns among Syrian minorities seeking guarantees from the new regime.

The delegation, which was received in the Presidential Palace, included Franciscan friars from the Custody of the Holy Land, Syrian Catholic bishops and priests, and representatives of other Christian faiths.

During the meeting the leader of the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)  offered assurances to the Christian leaders that the new Syria will be inclusive wishing them a Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year. 

“This event would have been unimaginable only three weeks ago and the bishops and priests present at the meeting left with a sense of hope for Syria's future”,  said Cardinal Zenari, who last week, also met the new Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, at his invitation.

“At the leadership level, there is an understanding of some fundamental principles and values, “ the Nuncio explained. “However,” he added, “it remains to be seen if words will translate into actions.”

Christians must stay in Syria

Despite some shared optimism, fears linger especially among Christians, with some still considering emigration due to past experiences of persecution and uncertainty.

This mixture of hope and apprehension marked these Christmas celebrations in Syria. In the face this situation, Cardinal Zenari emphasized the importance for Christians to stay and contribute to rebuilding the country: “This is not the time to leave Syria, but rather the time for Christians outside the country to return,” he said. “Christians have been given the opportunity—at least in words—to take part in rebuilding the new Syria, promoting values such as human rights, freedom, and respect for all. It is vital to be present and active in this reconstruction,” he stressed.

An unexpected  "breach of hope"

The Vatican Nuncio described the small signs of progress of the past weeks to a narrow “breach of hope” for a brighter future: “It is not a wide-open door like St. Peter's Basilica, but it is a start,” he said.

Justice for victims of Assad's regime, not revenge

Regarding the horrific human rights violations committed under Assad’s regime, Cardinal Zenari remarked that those horrors, which were known before the opening of the Syrian prisons in December, call for reflection  “particularly by the international community” and  an impartial justice to prevent cycles of revenge. 

“Falling into a circle of revenge would be disastrous,” he warned, while expressing gratitude to the many "Good Samaritans" of all faiths who helped others during those years, even at the cost of their lives.

On the crucial issue of the protection of women's rights in the new Syria, the Vatican Nuncio remarked that this  should be a priority, “not only for Christians but for all Syrians.”

International community must "work and observe" to help Syria rebuild

The Nuncio concluded with an appeal to the international community to actively support Syria in its reconstruction efforts, starting from lifting the international sanctions, instead  of just “ waiting and observing” a  peace and development are deeply interconnected. “For Syria to stand on its own, we must focus on rebuilding its economy, infrastructure, and essential services, “ he said.

“Instead of waiting and observing, I propose ‘work and see’ as a guiding principle.”

Pope's January prayer intention: 'for the right to an education'

Pope Francis' monthly prayer intention this January is for "the right to an education."

The Pope invited the Church to pray for this intention in this month's The Pope Video, which is entrusted to the entire Catholic Church through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

In The Pope Video for January, the Holy Father warned that today, "we’re experiencing an educational catastrophe," and underscores, "This is no exaggeration." 

250 million without

Due to wars, migration, and poverty, the Holy Father decried, some 250 million boys and girls lack education.

"All children and youth have the right to go to school," the Pope insisted, adding, "regardless of their immigration status."

Education, he went on to say, is a hope for everyone. In addition, he reminded, "it can save migrants and refugees from discrimination, criminal networks, and exploitation."

Tool for integration

"So many minors," he decried, "are exploited!"

Education, therefore, is essential, the Holy Father suggested, because it "can help them integrate into the communities who host them."

A better future

Education, the Pope underscored, opens the doors to a better future. "In this way," he explained, "migrants and refugees can contribute to society, either in their new country or in their country of origin, should they decide to return."

The Holy Father concluded his Video with some food for thought, saying, "let’s never forget that whoever welcomes the foreigner, welcomes Jesus Christ."

With this in mind, Pope Francis urged faithful to join him in praying for migrants, refugees and those affected by war, "that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a more human world, might always be respected."

The Pope Video

The Pope Video is an official global initiative with the purpose of disseminating the Holy Father's monthly prayer intentions. It is carried out by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer). 

Since 2016, The Pope Video has had more than 203 million views across all the Vatican’s social networks and is translated into more than 23 languages, receiving press coverage in 114 countries.

The videos are produced and created by The Pope Video Prayer Network team, coordinated by Andrea Sarubbi, and distributed by La Machi Communication for Good Causes. The project is sponsored by Vatican Media. 

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a Vatican foundation, with the mission of mobilizing Catholics through prayer and action in response to the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church. 

These challenges are presented in the form of prayer intentions entrusted by the Pope to the entire Church.

Ecumenical Patriarch sees chance for common Easter date

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is hoping for progress in agreeing on a common Easter date for all Christians. 

The beginning of the 1700th anniversary year of the Council of Nicaea is particularly suitable for this, said the Patriarch of Constantinople in his New Year's address. 

"The first ecumenical council, which was convened in Nicaea in the year of our Lord 325, laid the foundation for the unity of Christians and defined the faith that we still uphold today," said the Patriarch. 

This anniversary also brings to the fore the pressing issue of a common celebration of Easter among Christians, "an issue that is essential for the promotion of Christian unity".

Bartholomew hopes that the planned joint celebration with Pope Francis of the jubilee in May at the site of the Council in what is now İznik (Turkey) will provide important impetus for ecumenism. 

The Patriarch also recalled that next December will mark the sixtieth anniversary of the lifting of the mutual excommunication by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras. Patriarch Athenagoras will be commemorated. 

After their first meeting in 1964, the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch had declared the "cancellation of the memory of the curses of 1054" at the end of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. 

The separation of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches continues to exist.

2025 sees the common date of Easter

A common Easter date has been a concern of Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew for years. Years ago, the Ecumenical Patriarch named the agreement on a common Easter date as an important topic for the preparation of the Nicaea anniversary. 

The Vatican reacted favourably to the initiative, and the Coptic Church also gave its approval. 

The Moscow Patriarchate, however, does not consider the question of a date to be urgent. urgent. 

Pope Francis had already offered the Eastern churches in 2015to adopt the Orthodox Easter date in order to resolve the issue.

The non-Catholic Eastern churches celebrate Easter according to the Julian calendar, the Western churches according to the Gregorian calendar. This results in usually results in a different date. 

In extreme cases, there are up to five weeks between the two dates, as was the case last year: while the Latin Church celebrated Easter on 31 March, the date of the Orthodox celebration is only 5 May. 

Regardless of an agreement, Easter will be celebrated together in 2025 in any case: According to both calendars, the highest feast of Christianity will then fall on 20 April.

Frère Alois Löser: Synod harbours great ecumenical potential

The former prior of the Taizé Community, Frère Alois Löser, sees great ecumenical potential in the Synod on Synodality. 

"Much depends on whether we rediscover the joy of being baptised and allow it to permeate our personal lives and those of our congregations and groups," writes Löser in a guest article for"Herder Korrespondenz" (current issue). 

"Without this spiritual basis, neither far-reaching reforms nor progress in ecumenism are possible." The ball is therefore now in the court of the local dioceses and parishes.

Open questions such as Eucharistic hospitality or the mutual recognition of ministries remain on the table. 

However, the sentence often quoted by Pope Francis and included in the final document of the synod was confirmed: "The path of synodality that the Catholic Church is currently travelling must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical path is synodal." For Löser, this means: "An ever deeper awareness that we belong together and need each other, as well as singing, praying, being silent and acting together create a climate that is also theologically fruitful."

Forms of communion for Orthodox and Protestant churches

The final document of the synod speaks strikingly often of "the churches", says the Taizé brother. This refers first and foremost to the local churches and the Eastern Catholic churches. 

"And if the Catholic Church sees itself as 'a church of churches' (No. 38), then perhaps forms of communion with Rome that do not monopolise will also open up to Protestant and Orthodox churches." 

Löser believes that the churches should be accountable to each other for what they do and proclaim. "In order for the Gospel to be proclaimed more credibly, the final document calls for nothing less than 'an ecumenical synod' (No. 138)!"

Löser, a Catholic from Germany, was Prior of the ecumenical Taizé Community in France from 2005 to 2023. 

Since his resignation, he has lived in the fraternity of the community in Cuba. He took part in the Synod on Synodality as an "invitato speciale". 

His community also led an ecumenical prayer in St Peter's Square at the start of the synod.

Pope sends condolences for terrorist attack in New Orleans

Pope Francis Thursday sent a telegram offering his condolences for the deaths of at least 15 people who were killed during a terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day while people were out celebrating.

A Jan. 2 telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and addressed to Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans said the pope was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the attack that took place in New Orleans.”

“In assuring the entire community of his spiritual closeness, His Holiness commends the souls of those who have died to the loving mercy of almighty God and prays for the healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved,” the telegram said.

The pope also offered his blessing to those impacted by the attack, “As a pledge of peace and strength in the Lord.”

On Jan. 1 a suspect now identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pick-up truck around barriers and into a crowd of people celebrating the New Year before jumping out of his vehicle and opening fire on bystanders, killing at least 15 and injuring dozens of others.

Jabbar, who had apparently recently declared loyalty to ISIS, was killed in a police shootout after the attack. Two police officers were injured in the exchange.

The FBI declared the incident to be an act of terrorism and said that Jabbar was likely not “solely responsible,” and urged anyone with images of him recorded over the last few days to get in touch with the federal agency.

On Thursday, the FBI also said they were investigating a potential link between the New Orleans attack and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck Wednesday outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, which killed one person and injured several others.

Church of England plays its part in the rural economy, Lords hear

THE rural economy is something that “we in the Church of England are glad to play our part in”, the Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, said in a House of Lords debate called by him.

“We are at the heart of many of our rural communities across the country, wanting to contribute to their flourishing and thriving.”

With a reference to “the untapped potential of the rural economy and the prosperity that it can deliver for our nation”, Dr Smith hoped that everything could be framed with “the right policies and support in place”, and declared his interest “as president of the Rural Coalition and as a vice-president of the Local Government Association”.

“Nearly 20 per cent of the population of this country live in the countryside,” he said, “and over half a million businesses are registered in rural areas, employing 3.8 million people. The rural economy contributes over £315 billion a year to England alone. It is vital, then, that the Government’s missions not only deliver for rural communities but enable the rural economy to play its part in helping to deliver them.”

Baroness Shephard listed community benefits, concluding with “our rural schools, nearly a quarter of which in Norfolk are church schools, where teachers strive to nurture and to encourage ambition and aspiration; and our network of churches, a lifeline for many”.

The Earl of Devon praised Dr Smith “not only for calling this debate but for his tireless work on behalf of rural communities. At a time when the Bishops’ Benches are somewhat under assault, it is notable how much work he does. The recently retired Bishop of Exeter similarly did an awful lot of work for rural communities, and the Bishops’ voices are incredibly powerful.”

Lord Gascoigne said: “I pay tribute to . . . the Bishop of St Albans, for whom I have great admiration. Alongside . . . the Bishop of Norwich, he adds immense value to discussion of the crucial issues of rural communities and the environment. Like their namesakes on a chessboard, when they are combined, they are formidable, and they bring important views to this Chamber.”

Poverty, inequality, affordable housing and the impact of second homes in rural areas, and small businesses and growth were all touched on during the debate as pressing points of concern. Responding on behalf of the Government, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Baroness Hayman, assured the House that “we will continue to talk to the Treasury from DEFRA, and I will always stand up for the countryside and our rural communities. We recognise the importance of the rural economy and wider rural communities.”

In concluding the debate, on 19 December, Dr Smith thanked the Minister, and said that he feared that “very often, government is rural-blind. Many of us, for many years now, have been asking for a comprehensive rural strategy, and for proper rural-proofing, not because of special pleading but because we believe that this can make a huge difference to our nation.”

Sri Lanka remands activist for accusing cardinal of homosexuality

A magistrate court in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo remanded social activist Namal Kumara for 14 days on Dec. 2, a day after he was arrested for insulting the nation’s only Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.

Kumara’s statements linking the cardinal with homosexuality have not only insulted the Church leader but also offended Christians across the nation, police told the court. They wanted Kumara’s remand, citing potential religious and social unrest.

An audio recording that  Kumara released during Christmas week claimed Ranjith abused children for homosexual activities. The recording went viral on social media.

Police arrested Kumara on the complaint of Jude Chrisantha, the director of National Catholic Communication. The complaint called for a thorough police investigation into the “harm caused.”

Chrisantha alleged Kumara is an “accomplice in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks in which bombs went off almost simultaneously in three Churches and three luxury hotels, killing 270 people and injuring some 500.

The priest alleged that Kumara was “plotting another incident at the request of a third party.”

"We believe this was a deliberate attempt to defame” the cardinal’s reputation, Chrisantha told media on Dec. 30.

He alleged the audio recording was associated with former parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake.

Chrisantha suggested it was intentionally used to damage the reputation of the cardinal, who spearheads a campaign seeking justice for the families of the Easter Sunday victims.

Kumara is reportedly a supporter of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Media reports quoting investigators say officials loyal to the powerful Rajapaksa family were complicit in the Easter Sunday bombings.

Kumara told journalists last week that Ramanayake has an audio clip that discusses Ranjith’s alleged involvement in homosexual activities.

Kumara met journalists after he filed a complaint with the presidential secretariat seeking an investigation into the audio clip. However, he said his “aim is to defend the Cardinal, not to defame him.”

Rajapaksa supporters are also accused of fabricating stories to mislead the bombing investigation and to divert public attention from it, allowing criminal collaborators to escape accountability.

“Kumara played a key role in this mission and now appears to be setting the stage for another conspiracy,” said activist Surin Sarath.

Sarath wanted police to conduct “a thorough investigation” and ensure justice.

He told UCA news on Jan. 2 that the allegations have “severely harmed Cardinal Ranjith’s reputation and the feelings of the Catholic community.”

Mount Melleray: What the future holds for the historic abbey

The number of people attending confession has increased at Mount Melleray in recent weeks, with some sessions lasting multiple hours.

The community come looking for reassurance, clarity over the beloved abbey’s future.

A stack of pages sits close by during the sacrament, which people can take home with them if they wish.

The pages read: “After much reflection and soul searching we as an Order have had to make some very difficult decisions with the aim of ensuring a future for Cistercian life in Ireland.

“We have been confronted with these difficult decisions as we address the reality of falling numbers and ageing communities; issues which other similar communities are also addressing at this time.

“We have decided that with effect from 26th January 2025, three of our communities, namely, Mount Melleray, Mellifont and Mount St Joseph, which since 3rd November, the Feast of St Malachy, have already merged as one new single community, will be based, for an interim period, at Roscrea.

“This new community has been given the name of ‘The Abbey of Our Lady of Silence'.” 

Clergy members and staff at Melleray, who are understandably confused and saddened by the move, have been working diligently in the past number of months to assure the public that although great changes are taking place, it is being done to consolidate the future of Cisterian life for all.

At present, the order has three novices, with others expressing an interest in joining. The community remains strong, confident that amongst the difficulties the daunting move away from Waterford poses, the Cistercian way will continue to be of service to the community long into the future, albeit in a different way, or at a different location.

This point may do little to console the people of Waterford who remain devastated at the news that Melleray will be vacated.

The mutterings amongst congregants are about what will happen next for them, for the beloved monks, the abbey itself, the shop, the café, the graveyard.

Reassurance comes from the abbey’s priests, who have been offering such reassurance to the community from the slopes of Cappoquin since 1832.

In the 193 years since its foundation, Mount Melleray has been a beacon of hope for the people of Waterford through times of famine, civil war and financial crises.

The abbey continues to play this role today, with the community being assured that despite the difficulty in closing a chapter at Melleray, a new one is yet to begin.

‘Until tomorrow’ 

The monastery's vast and ever expanding story began in 1831, when 64 Irish monks, refugees evicted from the monastery of Melleray in France after the French Revolution, took up temporary residence at Rathmore in Co. Kerry.

After a short time it became evident that the place was unsuitable for the erection of a regular monastery, and so the weary search from one end of Ireland to the other continued.

After six months of travelling, the Cistercians obtained possession of Mount Melleray from landlord Sir Richard Keane.

A cross was planted on the barren Waterford mountainside, soon to followed by a small cottage with two rooms and a kitchen, a stable where monks slept and a small wooden chapel in which rain and snow could quite easily penetrate.

It was from day one, and would remain to this day, a symbiotic relationship between the monks and the Waterford community.

It was written in 1890 by novellist and poet Rosa Mulholland, that "every Irishman who could shoulder a pickaxe or shovel" toiled on the land to uproot the Melleray we know today from the once barren mountainside in the west of the county.

One story from the time surrounds that of Lord Richard Keane, who granted the monks the scrubland on the mountain.

Lord Keane apparently proposed the condition that the monks could have the land, “from today until tomorrow”, or in other words, that he could reclaim the land from them as he pleased.

 ‘The Liberator’, Daniel O’Connell, who was political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century, would on occasion pass through Melleray’s gates, and was approached by the monks to help secure their future at the site.

O’Connell conjured up an ingenious method of countering Lord Keane’s “from today until tomorrow” provision, and was able to prove into law that the land could remain in the hands of the monks, because “tomorrow never comes”.

A well-known feature of the Melleray is the ‘Miracle bin’, a long wooden container, which remains there today.

During the famine, the Lord Abbot of Melleray travelled to deliver sermons around the country in order to raise funds. He told the remaining monks at Melleray that nobody be turned away hungry from the monastery whilst he was away.

Miraculously, the monks at Melleray managed to keep the wooden bin full with Indian meal during the entirety of the Abbot’s absence, despite it requiring to feed around 100 monks and countless locals from the area on a daily basis.

The Lord Abbot at the time, Dom Vincent, said: "A poor and numerous community of religious men, located on the side of a barren mountain, improvided with funds, resources, or human means necessary to support existence, labouring incessantly in the arduous and painful enterprise of reclaiming its stubborn and neglected soil, depending on the casual charity of humane friends, are thus enabled, I will presume to say miraculously, not only to maintain their own existence, but to feed and preserve the lives of nearly five thousand of their fellow creatures during a period of no ordinary calamity and distress."

Schools, scouts and safety 

The monastic tradition of hospitality dates back to the earliest monks, with monasteries acting as the hostels of early medieval Europe.

Mount Melleray is no different, and has welcomed guests since its inception.

Throughout the history of Melleray, weary travellers and pilgrims would journey from all over the country on private retreats to pray with the monks.

The abbey was on the track from Youghal, which was once a major port, and so Melleray was a hub of activity, just as it remains so today with the St. Declan’s Way route attracting a large amount of footfall to the site daily.

During the height of the troubles, a large number of people living amidst the chaos in the North sought refuge at Mellerary.

Coming from violent areas, they moved into the school at the abbey’s front entrance, offering them both safety and escape from the conflict.

In 1977, the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland held an International Jamboree at Mount Melleray, which was attended by 20,000 scouts from around the world. They enjoyed some of the best weather Ireland had seen for many years.

Mellerary has always been a focal point for education, and throughout its history has had an agri college, a secondary school and primary school.

Rosa Mulholland wrote in 1890, that as children learn to write and spell at Melleray, "the birds that live in the schoolroom hop about their feet or fly from cage or porch to alight on St. Bernard’s shoulder."

The site also has a long tradition of helping people with addiction.

Changing tides 

On November 3, the monks of Mt Melleray Abbey, Mount St Joseph Abbey (Roscrea) and Mellifont Abbey (Louth) voted to form a union.

The monks of these three communities are coming together to form a new community that will be called the 'Abbey of Our Lady of Silence', a sign of the communities bond and agreement that changes must be made to solidify the future.

On January 26, 2025, the feast day of the Cistercian Founders, the monks of this new community will move to Roscrea, on an interim basis, for at least a year, to begin the life of the new community.

During this time the definitive location of the community of Our Lady of Silence will be decided.

It is being stressed that the location of the new community at Roscrea is an interim arrangement until the permanent location is decided.

The monks of Mount Melleray would like to thank the local community, guests and visitors for their interest, support and concern, especially at this time of transition.

“Let us continue to remember each other in our prayers,” a representative said.

Gardai seek woman who stole items from Claregalway Church

Gardaí in Loughgeorge are investigating a theft from Claregalway Church which occurred on December 23, when several items were taken from the church.

The suspect female entered the church at at 2pm and after taking the items from the church, was observed leaving in a silver car.

Gardaí in Loughgeorge are anxious to speak to anyone who may have been in the area around this time are asked to contact LoughGeorge Garda Station on 091-842870 or the Garda confidential line on 1800666111.

Offaly church burning and massacre by Cromwellian forces remembered at special Christmas Mass

ON Christmas morning last in the church ruins of the old Killoughey graveyard a piece of history was made. 

A remembrance Mass was celebrated in the ruins by Fr. Johnny McEvoy - it was the first time in 373 years that Christmas morning Mass was held inside the church walls.  

The Mass was to remember the parishioners who died at Christmas morning Mass in 1651.

Horror struck on that fateful day when the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell surrounded the church, setting it alight and burning it down with the congregation and priest inside.

It was decided this year by Odran and Breda Condron that a Mass should be held to remember those who perished.

Mild morning weather, a moving and emotional service by Fr. Johnny along with a huge attendance of over 300, whose ages ranged from five years old to 91 years old, gathered for what was to be a truly historic and memorable occasion.

91-year-old Hugh Gleeson spoke of his delight at being able to attend the remembrance Mass.

Fr. Johnny spoke of the horrors of what happened that morning in 1651, not only in Killoughey but also in other parishes in Ireland under the cruel regime of Cromwell.

Speaking after the event, people reflected on how enjoyable and spiritual the whole occasion was, many were moved by the beautiful Mass and felt that something special was done in the church ruins that day.

Odran Condron told the Tribune that the Mass was long overdue and that it was a privilege to organize the event along with great family support from the Condron and Kane family.

Even Odran’s son Jack, aged just five, helped with the preparations. Odran hopes that the Mass would stay in the memories of people for many years to come.

He also stated that unfortunately the world has still not learned its lesson from history, as atrocities such as the Killoughey Martyrs are still happening throughout the world in Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen and many other countries where evil prevails.

Breda Condron stated: “It is a credit to the people of Killoughey, Kilcormac and those who travelled from Dublin, Limerick, Kildare and all corners of Ireland to come out today on Christmas day and remember the Killoughey Martyrs”.

She also gave special thanks to Fr. Johnny who travelled from Navan on the day to celebrate the Mass.

Special prayers of the faithful were read by Alice Carroll, Caroline Condron and Emer Kane. Rena Lyons helped Fr Johnny with the distribution of communion as such a large crowd was not anticipated.

The occasion was summed up perfectly by Fr Johnny after Mass while people stood around chatting – “even on a Christmas morning, no one seems to be in a hurry to depart, A Christmas day with a difference and a Christmas day to remember”.

Orthodox priest becomes ‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ after Belarus brands social media ‘extremist’

A Belarusian court declared the Facebook page of an expatriate Orthodox priest “extremist”, meaning anybody following it could face prosecution in Belarus.

“This is an expected scenario,” said Fr Georgy Roy, who has lived in Lithuania with his family since March 2023 and learned of the ruling through opposition media. 

Speaking to The Tablet on 27 December, he said a criminal case had opened against him a few months earlier. “My name is in the criminal search database in Russia and Belarus,” he said.

Fr Roy said the recent establishment of an exarchate in Lithuania of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople was significant because it offered Orthodox Belarusians a canonical alternative to the Russian Orthodoxy, prompting the authorities to pursue him.

“The very fact that there is a Belarusian community of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is an important message for the Belarusian society,” he said, noting the community’s strong support of social media.

“Of course, this extremely irritated and still irritates Belarusian ideologues. Meanwhile, the Belarusian Orthodox Church is a special case, because we are cursed during the sermons in their churches,” Fr Roy said. Before it was designated an “extremist source”, his Facebook page had 4,200 “friends” and several hundred more subscribers.

This fell to 3,600 after the ruling. “A lot of friends I deleted on my own,” Roy said. “This is really dangerous – 80 per cent of my Facebook friends are Belarusians. After 2020, many of them live outside Belarus and can read my page safely, but many remain in the country. They are very vulnerable.”

He added that the “extremist” designation extends beyond social media in Belarusian law. “My photos, videos of my authorship or participation, books and magazines that mention my name are banned and provide grounds for fines and prosecution for extremism … I have become He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,” he said, noting a parallel with the J.K. Rowling villain.

DUP MP lends support to Latin Mass pilgrimage

A longstanding Democratic Unionist Party MP has expressed his support for a Latin Mass pilgrimage reportedly under threat by Vatican guidelines set out in the 2021 motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes that curtailed celebrations of the Latin Mass, saying that “the Latin Mass prohibition is another example of a situation where believers are restricted in practising their faith, making it a relevant and important issue for us to address”.

DUP MP Jim Shannon said that the reported proposals to restrict the annual Latin Mass pilgrimage that takes place in Chartres, France this June is an issue “that aligns with my ongoing commitment to address concerns about the spirituality and religious practices of individuals and communities”.

“I consistently raise written questions on all Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations,” he said. “This issue aligns with my ongoing commitment to address concerns about the spirituality and religious practices of individuals and communities.

“The restriction on the celebration of the Latin Mass directly impacts those who adhere to the Tridentine Rite, a significant spiritual and cultural expression of Catholic worship. A good friend of mine – local parish Priest Fr Martin O’Hagan led our local constituency in pilgrimages to Holy Sites and we are advocating for those who hold this expression of faith so dear.”

Mr Shannon, a Protestant, submitted a written question to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK government last month asking if there were any plans to intervene with the Holy See on the Chartres pilgrimage, and said that he considers this issue to be a matter that the All-Party Parliamentary Groups in the UK Parliament can appropriately deal with.

“We consider this prohibition a matter that falls squarely within the APPG’s radar, as it involves the rights of individuals to manifest their faith freely and without undue interference,” he said. “The Latin Mass prohibition is another example of a situation where believers are restricted in practicing their faith, making it a relevant and important issue for us to address.

“Whilst I am a proud Protestant and a unionist this does not deter my beliefs in FoRB as I have previously raised FoRB violations affecting Catholics,” he said.

Priest hails canonisation of ‘iconic’ French nun martyrs

The canonisation of 16 Catholic women, martyred during the French Revolution, has been described as “wonderful” by an Irish priest, who added that “of all of the martyrs of the French Revolution, the 16 sisters of the Carmel of Compiègne are iconic”.

Fr John Hogan, a priest of the Diocese of Meath and Postulator for the Cause of Fr Willie Doyle, said that canonisation of the new 16 saints, comprising 11 Discalced Carmelite nuns, has been in development for a while but the news came “quite quickly in the end” but that their “iconic” status made them worthy recipients.

“It was proposed to the Pope and the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to request equipollent canonisation,” he said. “So the request went in from the order through the postulator general of the Discalced Carmelites, Fr Marco Chiesa. It’s a process that has been happening but it seemed to come quite quickly in the end.

“It’s wonderful for an order to get new saints all in a morning. It’s particularly wonderful because first of all, these women were extraordinary Catholics and examples of the religious life. The lived very simple, observant lives of prayer. Their martyrdom was an attack against the Faith so they’re definitely martyrs.

“Of all of the martyrs of the French Revolution, the 16 sisters are iconic. I imagine this is why the Holy Father has decided to grant equipollent canonisation because of this great reputation that they have and the symbolism of their lives and death.”

Parishes should follow Vatican advice on ‘LGBTQIA+’ topics

Following an event in a Dublin parish where a speaker who identified as transgender addressed the congregation during an ‘LGBTQIA+ Christmas Carol Service’, a leading academic on Catholic sexual ethics has said the issue is “complicated” and that parishes should refer to the Church’s recently published document on human dignity if unsure how to approach topics like transgenderism.

Speaking after the event in Donore Avenue Parish, Dublin, Dr John Murray, a lecturer in Dublin City University’s School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music said that it’s important to get the balance right on occasions like this one.

“It’s complicated and I don’t know much about it apart from the link on social media,” he said. “There might have been elements of the event that are balanced. If that were the case that would be good because at least you would have included in an evening an affirmation of the Gospel and an affirmation of the teaching of Christ and the teaching of the Church about marriage and the goodness of marriage and the goodness of creation.

“All of these very important truths that are integral parts of the Catholic Faith and are also supported by human reason, so science and common sense and sound ethics. I hope they would be gently but firmly affirmed in every Catholic parish in appropriate ways.”

Dr Murray cited the present Pope’s approach to the debate as “a good model” because of its emphasis on welcome, but also because he’s not afraid to speak out against some of the “theory, ideology, or activism” when necessary.

“Francis is a good model of a two-pronged approach,” he said. “You have on the one hand this friendly, welcoming, accompanying attitude – and that’s good. But at the same time he’s not afraid to criticise elements of theory, ideology, or activism that is in contradiction to the Gospel and the good of human beings.

“Both are needed but it’s a difficult thing to do because we could mislead people or give a mixed-message to people who might think the teachings are bad or outdated or are going to be changed and that isn’t true. These teachings are important parts of the Gospel and they are important for how we understand human beings and family and marriage.”

Advising parishes should they be unsure of how to approach areas like transgenderism in the future, Dr Murray recommended that parishes follow the message contained in the document the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published last year on human dignity, Dignitas Infinita.

“It’s a document that’s very relevant to the whole trans issue,” he said. “It’s got some important sections in it that are very affirming of dignity but it also makes clear that to affirm dignity doesn’t mean to deny sexual difference and the reality between male and female.

“This document will be a very helpful source or guidance for parishes and schools and for Catholics generally.”

TD wants reversal of Franciscan friary closure in Clonmel

After reports confirmed that the Franciscan Friary in Clonmel was due to be closed on the first day of the year, Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath has decried the closure of a “fabulous institution” and said that he has written to the head of the friary to see if the decision can be reversed.

Speaking before the closure, Mr McGrath said that “It’s desperate sad news today in the town of Clonmel, the committee in the friary have been informed by the order that the Friary Church is going to close completely. The committee has got huge support from the public since the friars left us last year.

“There are huge crowds using the church for prayer and Mass every Tuesday morning. There’s been general support to the hardworking and dedicated committee to keep it open. The whole situation will be locked and closed and it’s heartbreaking.”

Committed to preserving the facility, Mr McGrath said that he hopes a petition is launched urging locals to rally together for the retention of the church.

“I’ve written to the head of the people in the friary to see if this can be reversed,” he said. “I’m hoping that a petition will be organised in the town and I’ll give it my full support. I think that after three quarters of a millenium to have the doors shut completely on this fabulous institution and a place of refuge for so many people that it’s a very, very sad day.”

World Day of Peace – Homily of Bishop Dempsey

St Brigid’s Church, Killester 

Homily of Bishop Paul Dempsey

We’ll all be familiar with the phrase ‘An image is worth a thousand words’. An image that has spoken to me over this past week is of Pope Francis, in his wheelchair, at the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve. On that night he physically opened the door, symbolising the opening of the Jubilee Year, entitled ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Leading by example, he was the first pilgrim to cross the threshold into this new year of possibility. 

The idea of ‘Jubilee’ recalls the ancient Jewish practice, when every forty-nine years, a year of forgiveness and freedom for the entire people was proclaimed. It acknowledged that all were brothers and sisters of the one Father, born to live in freedom in accordance with the Lord’s will. As we enter this Jubilee Year of hope, it is more than optimism we set out with. The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa made this distinction by telling us he was ‘not an optimist, but a prisoner of hope’. Hope is deeper than optimism. Hope invites us to look to the future with ‘an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision’.

Pope Francis acknowledges in his message for the 58th World Day of Peace, entitled ‘Forgive us our trespasses, Grant us your Peace,’ that the Jubilee Year comes at an opposite time when we hear a ‘desperate plea for help’ which calls out to us from so many parts of the world. He goes on to remind us how we are witnessing today the ‘inhuman treatment’ of so many migrants, ‘environmental decay, the confusion wilfully created by disinformation, the refusal to engage in any form of dialogue and the immense resources spent on the industry of war’. It is not easy to remain hopeful as we face these realities and as we witness daily the heartbreaking scenes of the lives of innocent men, women and children being destroyed as a result of ‘exploitation and oppression where might makes right’. However, our gathering today reminds us that we must never give in to pessimism and darkness.

As we cross the threshold into a new year, we might ask how we are to keep hope alive as we face existential questions facing our global community? In the Gospel today we heard how the shepherds ‘found’ Mary and Joseph, and the baby. This implies a search; they were searching for something and then they found it in this child born on a bed of straw. After this encounter they return to their lives ‘glorifying and praising God’. In other words, after meeting Christ they are changed, they are transformed, they see things differently. As we reflect upon the world today, despite our differences, despite our different world views, despite our different cultural backgrounds, deep within our hearts as human beings, there is a search. We are all searching for the truth that will bring us peace and fulfilment and help us offer our children a world where they can grow and flourish and reach the potential, they are capable of. As we face the many challenges on the global stage, perhaps we need to return to this reality at the heart of our humanity. 

Pope Francis, in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, echoes St Paul in our second reading today, that when we open our hearts to the ‘conviction that all human beings are brothers and sisters’ this ‘forces us to see things in a new light and to develop new responses’ (FT 128). He goes further to speak of the ‘culture of encounter’ which enables us to transcend our differences and divisions. As we begin this Jubilee Year of hope, could it be possible that those who consider themselves enemies, might in some way begin to listen to each other in our common humanity, where we can return to that search deep within our hearts, so as to achieve peace and reconciliation for the good of our present and future generations. In order for this to happen it will require dialogue with open and patient negotiation. It will, in the theme of this Year’s World Message of Peace, require forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Pope Francis reminds us in Fratelli Tutti’ that we ‘can never move forward without remembering the past. Those who truly forgive do not forget, but they choose not to yield to the same destructive force that caused them so much suffering’. (FT 252).

To start on this journey to forgiveness and peace, firstly the guns and the bombs must be silenced. And to those who use their power and might and destructive means over others to achieve their aims, on this World Day of Peace we cry out to you, in the name of God, stop! In the name of humanity, stop! In order to move forward may we disarm ourselves of selfishness and hostility and replace them with generosity and hope. Seamus Heaney reminded us that ‘even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained’. Let us maintain this hope that great things can be achieved, and real change can come about.

For those that remain pessimistic, I offer one powerful example that illustrates what is possible. It emerges from our own story here on this island. As a young boy growing up in Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s almost every morning as I was having my breakfast before school the news on the radio was about the troubles in the North. I would hear of shootings and bombings almost daily. Families from Nationalist and Unionist backgrounds devastated by the loss of loved ones. With a sigh from his heart, my father would say, ‘They will never sort it out’. However, in the background, the seeds for peace were being sown. People were quietly setting the conditions for people from different sides to begin to listen to each other, to encounter one another. Over time these talks developed and eventually, despite the differences, the past hurts and atrocities, it led to the silencing of the guns and bombs and the signing, in 1998, of the Good Friday Agreement. It is a powerful message of hope and a shining example of what can be achieved if people enter the culture of encounter in order to listen to one another in order to create a better world. It shows us what is possible when we turn from selfishness into the readiness to reach out and listen to others.

In his peace message this year, Pope Francis reminds us that we all have our part to play in creating a peaceful world. He brings it right back to each one of us individually. He tells us that ‘‘a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed’. With such gestures, we progress towards the goal of peace’.

After their encounter with Christ, the shepherds were transformed, they saw things differently. As we begin this Jubilee Year of Hope, may we too see things differently, knowing that no matter how dark things may seem there is always a way through. May we, like Mary, the Mother of God, ponder the great hope Christ offers humanity. In him we are called to a new hope, he is the door that opens new possibilities for us to begin again! The late Brendan Kennelly echoes this in the final words of his poem entitled ‘Begin’:

 Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
 That always seems about to give in
 Something that will not acknowledge conclusion 
 Insists that we forever begin.

Paul Dempsey
Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin