FIANNA Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe is calling on the government to immediately issue a roadmap for the safe resumption of communion and confirmation ceremonies from September.
At present, they are still on hold leaving parents and pupils in limbo, while teachers, priests and bishops are none the wiser as to when they will need to begin the period of preparation and organisation.
“I think the continued prohibition of communion and confirmation ceremonies is illogical given that up to 50 people can now attend a wedding and people are regularly attending church for Sunday Mass and funerals,” said Deputy Crowe.
“The continued deferral of communions and confirmations is raising a lot of eyebrows and countless numbers of parents have been contacting my office asking why.
“I support the staging of these ceremonies, but I think that the logical thing now is to wait until the new school term in the month of September, which is now only a matter of weeks away.
“In almost all situations, these ceremonies, though celebrated by a priest or bishop are planned, coordinated and staged by the local primary school.
“With a little over three weeks left to the start of the new academic year, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect these to happen in the month of August but I think that the government needs to provide a roadmap to the church community and schools as to what these ceremonies will look like in September.
“Prior to my election to the Dáil, I worked as a primary school teacher in Parteen NS and I would have taken the 6th class pupils through their confirmation preparation on many occasions.
“Whilst the actual ceremony may last only around an hour, there’s six or seven weeks preparation in advance of that actually taking place.
“I think it’s unrealistic for schools and dioceses to clamber together ceremonies over the month of August, but I ask that the government clearly outlines a roadmap now.
“The diocese will also need to liaise with secondary schools, as most children who should have been confirmed by now will have made the transition to secondary school already.
“Traditionally, confirmations are celebrated by the bishop but there has been precedence of local priests being delegated to complete this function and while this is ultimately up to the diocese to plan, it could allow for a more seamless rollout of the ceremonies in the autumn.
“One of the most significant concerns of NPHET and the government wasn’t so much the church ceremony but rather the parties thereafter.
“However, I’ve been aware of many cases over the spring and summer where families held parties even though the confirmation and communion didn’t take place.
“In this regard the continuing of restrictions can be considered illogical and the sensible thing now is to lay out plans as to how these ceremonies can be safely and in a socially distant manner.”
