In accordance with the public health restrictions to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, members of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference gathered remotely this week for their Summer 2021 General Meeting via video-link, instead of the usual location at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. This was the fifth plenary meeting of bishops hosted using this medium.
During their meeting bishops acknowledged the depth of pain experienced by people whose loved ones have died during this difficult time and offered their prayerful support to families who have suffered due to the restrictions placed on funeral rites and attendance.
Bishops also expressed their thanks to the faithful for their prayers, sacrifice and perseverance and for adhering to the public health restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This commitment has successfully served to protect life and health.
The main issues discussed by the bishops during their Summer General Meeting included:
- Bishops express thanks for over 550 submissions received for Synodal Pathway
- Safeguarding children in the Catholic Church
- Northern Ireland
- Vaccine ethics and equity
- Proactively engaging with the Department of Education in relation to reconfiguration of patronage
- Birth Information and Tracing Heads of Bill
- Welcome to Pope Francis instituting the Ministry of Catechist
- First World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly
- Laudato Si’ on care for our common home
- Prisoner Repatriation
- Bishops thank public for generosity to Trócaire
- Call on Government to recognize the State of Palestine
- Brutality in Myanmar
- UN Food Systems Summit
- Appointments
Click here to read the Bishops’ statement in full.
The President of the Bishops’ Conference is Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and the Vice-President is Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin.
ENDS
