A government spokesperson has said An Taoiseach Micheál Martin is “surprised” at the Catholic bishop’s request that Masses be re-opened to the public when Level 5 restrictions are eased.
The Irish Bishops’ Conference released a statement earlier today saying they were “disappointed” the Taoiseach had failed to respond to issues four archbishops raised with him in a February meeting about restrictions on funerals and Masses.
The bishops had wanted an increase in the number of people permitted to attend funerals, and public worship to be restored considerably sooner than planned within Level 2 restrictions.
“Despite assurances from the Taoiseach last month that the concerns expressed by the Archbishops would be given serious consideration, we note with disappointment that none of the issues raised has been responded to,” the statement reads.
This evening however a government spokesperson responded on behalf of An Taoiseach:
“The Taoiseach is surprised at the bishops’ statement on the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.
“He carried out a virtual meeting with the four Archbishops on February 19th in good faith, when he explained the impact of the new variant and the importance of suppressing the virus while the most vulnerable in society are vaccinated.
“He also acknowledged the importance of the church community in people’s lives and agreed to maintain an open dialogue.
“The Taoiseach explained at the meeting that, due to the serious nature of the pandemic, it was not possible to give guarantees on future levels of restrictions, however, the next steps would be clarified in the lead up to April 5th.”
The bishops also called Catholics to lobby their politicians in the hope of changing the current restrictions, saying it was “painful” to be deprived of worship as Easter approaches.
“It is particularly painful for Christians to be deprived, for the second year running, of the public expression of our faith during the most sacred time of Holy Week and Easter,” the bishops said.
“This is especially true given that it has been clearly demonstrated that church buildings are among the safest places for people to gather.
“We also re-emphasise that the ongoing severe restrictions on attendance at Funeral Masses (currently limited to ten) are causing untold grief to many families.”
The bishops’ conference added that the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation would be postponed until further notice.