Bishop Phonsie calls for end to Church Gate Collections for Political Parties

The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, the Most Very Rev. Aphonsus Cullinan has added his voice to that of the Bishop of Elphin, Most Very Rev. Kevin Doran calling for political parties to put an end to Church Gate Collections.

Speaking to ‘The Irish Catholic’ Newspaper this week, Bishop Cullinan urged politicians to be “consistent” and not to “pressurise” mass goers and called on political parties to “find alternative sources” for fundraising.

The Countries newest Bishop told the newspaper that many people were annoyed at political parties collecting money outside churches despite holding views which directly oppose Church teaching on such vital and basic matters as the right of life and the nature of marriage.

Bishop Cullinan’s call for political parties to end to Church Gate Collections comes after Bishop Doran questioned why some parties are fundraising at local church gates.

In this weeks Irish Catholic, the front page report by Cathal Barry states that a statement from the Elphin Diocese lead by Bishop Doran adds that “While noting that there is “no obligation” on any political party to support the Church or to legislate in accordance with Church teaching, the statement said it was “rather lacking in respect” for people’s faith “that political parties which have consistently advocated policies and introduced legislation which undermine marriage and the right to life of the unborn, should turn up outside our Church gates, Sunday after Sunday to ask Mass-goers to fund their activities”. Acknowledging that political parties are legally entitled to do so, the diocese suggested that “common decency would suggest that they go and collect somewhere else”.

While Fine Gael would not comment specifically on the Diocese of Elphin’s stance, a spokesperson told The Irish Catholic that local constituencies and branches arrange Church gate collections “with the civil authorities and use their own discretion in liaising with local Churches”.

A Fianna Fáil spokesperson said that wherever the party conducts collections, “it does so with the relevant permits issued by An Garda Síochána”.

Meanwhile, Bishop Cullinan will officiate at his first Ordination mass on Sunday afternoon.

Knockanore man Rev. Shane O’Neill will be ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore at the Church of the Sacred Heart.

Rev. O’Neill will become only the fourth man to be ordained as a Diocesan Priest in Waterford and Lismore since the turn of the Millennium.

Waterford City man Colm O’Brien was ordained in 2000. He died in 2009 at the age of 36 following an illness. Fr. Richard O’Halloran from Carrickbeg was ordained in 2001 and currently is Curate in Portlaw and Ballyduff. Clonmel man Fr. Michael Toomey was ordained in 2009 and is currently Curate of Tramore and Carbally and in 2012 Ballyduff Lower man Fr. John Harris who is currently Curate in Dungarvan was ordained.

Bishop Cullinan recently ordained Clonmel man Dr. Lazarus Gidoff as the first ever permanent deacon in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore at Saint Oliver’s Church in Clonmel. Last weekend Brendan Gallagher, a former Chairman of the Waterford Ladies Football County Board was accepted as a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate programme in the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore.