An Irish government minister, who was prominent in campaigning for a “Yes” vote in Ireland’s recent abortion referendum, led a church service at her local parish last weekend.
The Minister for Culture, Josepha Madigan (pictured), stepped in when it became apparent that no priest was available to celebrate 6 p.m. Mass on Saturday in the Parish of St Thérèse in Mount Merrion, Dublin. Speaking to RTE Radio’s Today with Sean O’Rourke, Ms Madigan said she had offered to lead a prayer service for the packed church and that a Minister for the Eucharist had distributed Communion. She told RTE that the Gospel was not read and no attempt was made to consecrate the bread and wine.
Ms Madigan, a Minister for the Word in the parish, said she saw no contradiction between her stance in support of abortion and the fact that one of the Church’s core teachings is on the protection of human life.
She said the bigger issue was that the Church “should be ordaining women and it should be optional for priests to marry”.
In a statement Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin fiercely rejected her comments. “There is no shortage of priests in the Archdiocese of Dublin for the celebration of Sunday Mass. Due to a misunderstanding, the priest assigned to Mass in the parish failed to turn up. It is in no way correct to say that the Minister ‘said Mass’.” he said.
“It is regrettable that Minister Madigan used this occasion to push a particular agenda. Her expressed view that a mix-up in a Dublin parish on one Saturday evening should lead to the Universal Church changing core teachings is bizarre. Minister Madigan might consider listening to the voices of those people who disagree with her public comments,
she might consider the hurt she has caused to parishioners who deem her actions deeply disrespectful.”
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