Post by earl on Nov 28, 2007 16:11:38 GMT
North-south gathering is one few among us thought we'd ever witness in our lifetime
During his historic visit to Ireland in 1979, the late Pope John Paul II knelt on his knees in Drogheda to plead for an end to violence in the North.
His plea fell on deaf ears and was met by an intensification of the IRA's terrorist campaign.
Twenty-eight years later, Pope Benedict XVI this weekend witnessed the fulfilment of his predecessor's dream when representatives of the Irish and British governments, as well as the Northern Ireland Executive in the person of former IRA commander Martin McGuiness, chummily rubbed shoulders in the Vatican for the elevation of Sean Brady to Cardinal.
In the words of President Mary McAleese, this was "a marvellous North-South gathering", one which few of us -- whatever about the late Polish Pontiff -- thought we would ever see.
The President stressed it was truly a proud day for the entire island of Ireland, and she was sure it gave Cardinal Brady great reassurance to be joined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, representing the Stormont Executive, Northern Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, and Minister of State Paul Goggin.
Remarkably, in spite of their contrasting Irish, Ulster and English vocal cords, the political leaders were all singing from the same hymn sheet.
President McAleese summed up the mood when she said: "As Sean Brady takes his place in the College of Cardinals, he takes with him the good wishes of people of all politics and persuasions."
Dermot Ahern welcomed Cardinal Brady's promotion as delivering a strong message, politically, about the importance of the developments in the North, which were now being studied by other countries as providing a formula for resolving their own conflicts.
Derryman Mr McGuiness, a practising Catholic who confessed to being enchanted by his first visit to St Peter's Basilica, was even more upbeat than the Dundalk-based Mr Ahern. He brought a message congratulating the Pope's man in Armagh from the Northern Executive.
Such a message would not have been delivered from Stormont -- once the bastion of Protestant supremacy -- if it had not received the imprimatur of his boss, First Minister, the Rev Ian Paisley, the erstwhile chief anti-Catholic demagogue.
England's last colonial over-lord of the North, Shaun Woodward, proclaimed the Irish Primate's elevation as Prince of the Church as "a very proud day for Northern Ireland", one which indicated Pope Benedict's special feelings for the North.
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. After all, since the sixteenth century Reformation, British Governments fought to banish the influence of Rome from its kingdom, and saw Home Rule as Rome Rule.
Only a few decades ago, the British Government of Margaret Thatcher had lobbied Rome in a futile attempt to prevent Archbishop Tomas O Fiaich from being made a Cardinal.
After the full liturgical pomp in "the panting heart" of Rome's St Peter's Basilica, politicians, prelates and pilgrims reunited at receptions for Cardinal Brady hosted in the Villa Spada, by Ireland's Ambassador to the Holy See, Noel Fahey, and the British Ambassador's residence overseen by Francis Campbell, a native of Co Down.
Mischievous
The holy craic was great. GAA jokes were made. Mary Mac noted mischievously that it would be interesting to see the effect on the Cavan football team of having a former player in the College of Cardinals with more pulling power in terms of prayer.
"Previous experience from Antrim and Dublin mind you are not very encouraging," she quipped. "But neither Cardinal Daly nor Cardinal Connell actually togged out for their country unlike our new Cardinal.
Cardinal Brady entered the spirit when he admitted that his Big Day in Rome was like winning the Sam Maguire.
But in response to one Cavan compatriot, who predicted he would become Pope, the ever modest Brady replied: "Let's not lose the run of ourselves."
- John Cooney
During his historic visit to Ireland in 1979, the late Pope John Paul II knelt on his knees in Drogheda to plead for an end to violence in the North.
His plea fell on deaf ears and was met by an intensification of the IRA's terrorist campaign.
Twenty-eight years later, Pope Benedict XVI this weekend witnessed the fulfilment of his predecessor's dream when representatives of the Irish and British governments, as well as the Northern Ireland Executive in the person of former IRA commander Martin McGuiness, chummily rubbed shoulders in the Vatican for the elevation of Sean Brady to Cardinal.
In the words of President Mary McAleese, this was "a marvellous North-South gathering", one which few of us -- whatever about the late Polish Pontiff -- thought we would ever see.
The President stressed it was truly a proud day for the entire island of Ireland, and she was sure it gave Cardinal Brady great reassurance to be joined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, representing the Stormont Executive, Northern Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, and Minister of State Paul Goggin.
Remarkably, in spite of their contrasting Irish, Ulster and English vocal cords, the political leaders were all singing from the same hymn sheet.
President McAleese summed up the mood when she said: "As Sean Brady takes his place in the College of Cardinals, he takes with him the good wishes of people of all politics and persuasions."
Dermot Ahern welcomed Cardinal Brady's promotion as delivering a strong message, politically, about the importance of the developments in the North, which were now being studied by other countries as providing a formula for resolving their own conflicts.
Derryman Mr McGuiness, a practising Catholic who confessed to being enchanted by his first visit to St Peter's Basilica, was even more upbeat than the Dundalk-based Mr Ahern. He brought a message congratulating the Pope's man in Armagh from the Northern Executive.
Such a message would not have been delivered from Stormont -- once the bastion of Protestant supremacy -- if it had not received the imprimatur of his boss, First Minister, the Rev Ian Paisley, the erstwhile chief anti-Catholic demagogue.
England's last colonial over-lord of the North, Shaun Woodward, proclaimed the Irish Primate's elevation as Prince of the Church as "a very proud day for Northern Ireland", one which indicated Pope Benedict's special feelings for the North.
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. After all, since the sixteenth century Reformation, British Governments fought to banish the influence of Rome from its kingdom, and saw Home Rule as Rome Rule.
Only a few decades ago, the British Government of Margaret Thatcher had lobbied Rome in a futile attempt to prevent Archbishop Tomas O Fiaich from being made a Cardinal.
After the full liturgical pomp in "the panting heart" of Rome's St Peter's Basilica, politicians, prelates and pilgrims reunited at receptions for Cardinal Brady hosted in the Villa Spada, by Ireland's Ambassador to the Holy See, Noel Fahey, and the British Ambassador's residence overseen by Francis Campbell, a native of Co Down.
Mischievous
The holy craic was great. GAA jokes were made. Mary Mac noted mischievously that it would be interesting to see the effect on the Cavan football team of having a former player in the College of Cardinals with more pulling power in terms of prayer.
"Previous experience from Antrim and Dublin mind you are not very encouraging," she quipped. "But neither Cardinal Daly nor Cardinal Connell actually togged out for their country unlike our new Cardinal.
Cardinal Brady entered the spirit when he admitted that his Big Day in Rome was like winning the Sam Maguire.
But in response to one Cavan compatriot, who predicted he would become Pope, the ever modest Brady replied: "Let's not lose the run of ourselves."
- John Cooney