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IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING

Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus

“This is a very welcome initiative by former Taoiseach Varadkar and in keeping with his positive record on Northern Ireland. Members of Congress should give it due attention.”

—Fr. Sean McManus.

Unity debate benefits from Varadkar’s verve and focus

Irish News Editorial. Belfast. Monday, September 30, 2024.

It is a measure of the changing climate in Irish politics that a former Fine Gael Taoiseach delivered a speech last week that would not have been out of place at the weekend’s Sinn Féin ard fheis.

Leo Varadkar has taken a much firmer stance during discussions on unity since standing down as premier last April, and his address at a New Irish Commission schools engagement event in Derry was arguably his most direct to date.

Having told an Ireland’s Future conference in Belfast in June that he was determined to advocate for a positive outcome to a border referendum, he provided more details of his thinking to the group of northwest students last Thursday. He proposed that all the main Dáil parties should make reunification “not just an aspiration but an objective” specifically included in their manifestos when the next general election is called, possibly within the next matter of weeks.

“Leo Varadkar suggested that the Dáil could sit at Stormont for parts of the year in the event of unification, when the state might have not just a president but also a vice-president, one of whom drawn from the British and unionist tradition.

Mr. Varadkar said that, while a simple majority for unity in a border poll would be sufficient, he wanted the margin to be as convincing as possible, and offered some intriguing thoughts on the structures which could accompany a new Ireland.

He suggested that the Dáil could sit at Stormont for parts of the year in the event of reunification, when the state might also have not just a president but also a vice-president, one of whom drawn from the British and unionist tradition, with reforms guaranteeing minority representation at Seanad Éireann on a long-term basis.

Mr. Varadkar raised the question of how a 32-county Ireland could deal with 21st-century threats, and floated the idea of a defense agreement with the UK and a closer relationship with Nato.

While these are no more than talking points at present, which will inevitably divide opinion even within broad nationalism, they demonstrate how a debate is taking shape and can be expected to evolve in the coming years. It remains to be seen whether forthcoming elections confirm the view of some academics who have closely studied demographic trends that a significant increase in the nationalist vote across the north will shortly emerge.

What cannot be disputed is that the level of unionist support in the ballot boxes has been steadily declining for decades, with obvious patterns emerging at Westminster, Stormont and district council level.

The British government will at some stage be compelled to clarify the noticeably vague criteria for the staging of a border referendum, and it is essential that advocates of unity should set out their vision for the future as clearly as possible. Mr. Varadkar deserved full credit for his contribution.

 

Fr. McManus, Rep. Elliot Engel, then chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Raymond McCord. Capitol Hill. Feb. 11, 2020.

October 2,, 2024

IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING

Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus

Renowned victims campaigner, Belfast Protestant Raymond McCord, Sr. praises Fr. McManus’ support. Raymond was responding to the INC post of Saturday, September 28, “Fr. McManus arrived 52-years ago in America on October 2, 1972.”

Sunday, September 29, 2024.

Dear Sean,                                                                         

 You’ve done great work over the years, and I will be eternally grateful of your fantastic support in my campaign for truth and justice for my son Raymond Jr., murdered by British state agents and many other victims of the Troubles here in Northern Ireland.

I never thought in 1997, when young Raymond was murdered, that a Catholic Irish priest from Fermanagh would put in so much time and work to help this Protestant Belfast unionist father, supporting and standing with me in my quest for truth and justice.

You deserve to be recognized for everything you’ve done and achieved.

Thank you, my friend. And I cannot forget the support of Barbara Flaherty, another great friend and supporter of not only my campaign but also that of many other victims. Two good friends.
Raymond Mc Cord, Sr. Belfast.

Fr. McManus arrived 52 years ago in America on October 2, 1972

                    And the Irish issue would be changed for all time

Fifty-two years ago, on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Fr. Sean McManus set foot in America for the very first time … And it’s fair to say that the Irish issue would be changed for all time.

On February 6, 1974, he founded the Irish National Caucus to “make Irish justice an American issue” by focusing on the U.S. Congress. He was amazed Irish-Americans had no office on Capitol Hill to lobby for Irish unity, just, and peace.

So, on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 1978, Fr. McManus opened the very first and only Irish office on Capito Hill. (The Friends of Irish Freedom in 1919 opened an office downtown Washington, not on Capitol Hill, but it only lasted a few years).

Barbara Flaherty, Executive Vice President of the Irish National Caucus, said: “As I have been saying for years, Fr. Sean shows no sign of slowing down; indeed, his output has only increased. He is now more busy than ever. For all these years, he has been at the forefront of getting Congress to stand up for  Irish justice. If there are any people out there who are not familiar with Fr. Sean’s name, this is a useful link for understanding the historical importance of his 52-years of work—

Praise for Memoirs and for Fr. McManus’ work– https://wp.me/sawKOq-praise  

Fr. McManus said:  “Thank God that I’ve never forgotten where I came from. And that I never forgot that I have not only the right but also the Gospel duty and imperative to do justice’ because Faith is the Faith that does justice for the poor and oppressed—if it does not, it’s not Faith …‘In biblical faith the doing of justice is the primary expectation of God.” (Rev. Walter Brueggemann, American Protestant Old Testament scholar and theologian.) And the Catholic Church officially teaches: ‘… Action on behalf of justice [is] a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel…and [a constitutive dimension] of the Church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation.”

After God, I have to thank the wonderful Irish-American community who has made my work possible for 53 years. God bless them all, and God rest all those wonderful friends and supporters who have died in the past 53 years—they are always in my prayers. As always, my special thanks to the wonderful Barbara Flaherty.”

 

 

 

Praise for Memoirs and for Fr. McManus’ Work

“Thus, McManus became Britain’s nemesis in America, the driving force that would eventually erode Britain’s influence within the U.S. government.”—Joseph E. Thompson. American Policy and Northern Ireland: A Saga of Peacebuilding. 2001.

“The Mac Bride Principles—a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Northern Ireland—were launched by the Irish National Caucus on November 4, 1984. The Mac Bride Principles both symbolized and effectuated one of the Caucus’ major campaigns. The Principles became law in 18 U.S. states and numerous towns, and cities. In October 1998, the MacBride Principles were passed by both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and signed into U.S. law.  Chairman Gilman took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to welcome this singular achievement, saying: “I want to make a special note regarding Father Sean McManus.  No one has fought harder against discrimination in Northern Ireland.  Father Sean single-handedly brought the MacBride fair employment principles to … enactment.” —Congressman Ben Gilman (R-NY), October 1998.

“Advising Congressman [Richard Ottinger, D-NY], and helping him in the talks [in Belfast] was Fr. Sean McManus, the Washington-based Redemptorist priest ordained in England and now a scourge of the British Government. The lime-and-so-da drinking cleric is not liked by British diplomats in the American capital, where he leads the Irish National Caucus, a lobbying group aimed at influencing American foreign policy with the target of Irish unity, freedom, and peace.”—“Americans in Ulster Maelstrom.” Daily Telegraph. London. August 18, 1983.

“The [MacBride] campaign is being run by the Irish National Caucus… The move, inspired by  Father Sean McManus, who has been consistently opposed to British policy, is particularly well-timed. For even if the law is never passed, it provides an opportunity to link, however, tenuously, the issues of South Africa and Northern Ireland. The MacBride Principles also call for the same kind of affirmative action programs for Catholics which American companies already use in the employment of women and blacks in the U.S.A”—“New York Threat of Ulster Shares Boycott.” Will Ellsworth-Jones. The Times. London. January 6, 1985.

“Fr. Sean McManus is the man who put Northern Ireland on the map in America. As head of Washington-based lobby group the Irish National Caucus, which he founded in 1974, he continues to fight the fight over sectarianism and justice—British governments have been and gone, Fr. Sean is still here. He famously championed the MacBride Principles which called on US   companies investing in Northern Ireland to operate a fair employment practice. It made him a hate figure for Unionists and a constant prick in the side of the British.”—Richard Sullivan. Sunday World. Belfast. January 4, 2018.

“After being ‘transported’ out of London 1972, [Church and State] sent Fr. McManus to far-flung America. …They thought it was a safe enough place to banish him after he attacked the British Government and its policies in [Northern Ireland] in the early 1970s. But how wrong [they] were. Some political observers in America say he was light years ahead of his time when   he set up the Irish National Caucus to fight for justice and rights for [Catholics] back home in Northern Ireland.”—John Cassidy, Sunday World. Belfast. March 18, 2007.

“No one has done more than Father McManus to keep the U.S. Congress on track regarding justice and peace in Ireland. Indeed, I believe historians will record that no one since John Devoy (1842–1928) has done more to organize American pressure for justice in Ireland.”—Congressman Ben Gilman (R-NY), Chairman, House International Relations Committee. 2003.

“My American Struggle for Justice in Northern Ireland, and this Third Edition, is a hugely important book. It is probably the most significant memoir in the historiography of Irish-American nationalism since Recollections of an Irish Rebel (1929) by John Devoy.” Washington Irish Committee.

“For the past nearly 50 years Fr. Sean McManus has been championing, almost single-handedly, the struggle for peace with justice for the partitioned six counties of “Northern Ireland.” His has been the constant voice keeping the U.S. Congress, international media, and the entire Irish-American community, informed and constantly up to date with the truth. He withstood attacks of the English Government for his relentless efforts in fighting for the ultimate adoption of the MacBride Principles. Fr. Sean’s ongoing work and efforts on behalf of Mr. Raymond McCord, a Protestant from Belfast, has become another example of his vital role in the search for peace with JUSTICE irrespective of one’s religion.“—Bob Bateman, Past National Historian, Ancient Order of Hibernians. AOH Liaison to the Irish National Caucus and Congressional Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs (1976-1982). (Great-grandnephew of the Fenian Captain Timothy Deasy).

“[Fr. McManus] stood out against powerful forces in a fight for justice and fairness. I didn’t always agree with the causes he supported, but I admired his persistence, his courage, his relentlessness. And admiration that one person, almost alone, could make such impact on public policy in the United States.”—Vincent Browne’s speech at book launch in Dublin. 2011.

“Fr. Sean knows the history of the struggle for justice in Northern Ireland as well as anyone—he lived it. A very important book.”— Ray Flynn, former mayor of Boston and U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. 2011.

“Fr. Sean McManus has spent a lifetime leading the fight to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. That so many Americans and, particularly those in American government leadership roles, joined in the effort to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict is a credit to his courageous and inspiring leadership.”—Bill Flynn, Chairman Emeritus, Mutual of America chairman, National Committee on American Foreign Policy. 2011.

“A spiritual and magnanimous man, McManus is undeniably a brilliant tactician. His fine book chronicles a long and vibrant journey of an astute, intelligent, and politically committed mind in action. …Many elected American officials of all ethnic backgrounds were convinced by McManus of the urgency and legitimacy of the issue and became supporters of his unceasing efforts. His crowning achievement came when after a laborious campaign the MacBride Principles were signed into law by President Clinton.”—Joe Martin. Real Change. October 27, 2011.

“So, from Kinawley to the halls of Congress, your story—which    I thank you for—is hard to put down. May this year be one of deepening justice and peace for Ireland.”—Jim Douglass, noted author on nonviolence. January 8, 2012.

“Fr. McManus … has released this must-read tome for anyone interested in the long struggle for full Irish freedom … The book documents the priest’s successful struggle to incorporate the MacBride Principles (business ethics for American companies doing business in the north of Ireland) into U.S. law. This is not a work of fiction, though the herculean task Fr. McManus set for himself and his Irish National Caucus lobbying effort on Capitol Hill would appear to qualify as such.”—Bryan T. McMahon. The Ponchatoula Times. Florida. June 28, 2013.

“As a writer, singer, and performer of Irish ballads, I know the value of voice, words, and thoughts that expose injustice (as this book does). Over the last 40 years Fr. McManus has been the powerful voice that has kept the U.S. Congress involved in the struggle for justice and peace in Ireland.”—Derek Warfield, (Young) Wolfe Tones. 2011.

“The intrepid Fermanagh-born battler for justice, Fr. Sean McManus, has published the definitive book on    Irish-America’s fight for justice in the North of Ireland, including the epic MacBride Principles campaign.”—Máirtín ÓMuilleoir, Belfast Media, President of The Irish Echo. 2011.

No … U.S. initiative … [on Northern Ireland] would have come about had it not been for the activities of the Irish National Caucus.—Sunday News (Belfast), 1979.

“Perhaps the Caucus’ boldest success has been its efforts to create … The Committee for Irish Affairs.”—The New York Times. 1979.

 

“…The Irish National Caucus … has been influential in getting Congress to see Northern Ireland as a human rights issue.”—The Washington Post. 1981.

 

“The MacBride campaign, directed by the Irish National Caucus won the support of the AFL-CIO and of several religious institutional shareholders including several Catholic orders and several major Protestant denominations.”—The Wall Street Journal.1988.

 

“It all started with Father McManus. When he came over here, we were all sympathetic to him.”—House Speaker Tip O’Neill (Irish America). 1986.

 

“I support the Irish National Caucus because it represents a compelling voice for fair employment, legal justice, and lasting peace in Northern Ireland.”—Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-MA). 1988.

“Dear Fr. McManus … I would be honored to be a Congressional Friend of the Irish National Caucus. I support your nonviolent work for justice and peace in Northern Ireland with full equality for the  Catholic minority.  Additionally,  I support continued American involvement in the Irish peace process.”—Rep. JosephKennedy, III, December 13, 2012.

“As Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs, I … commend the Irish National Caucus for your steadfast advocacy on behalf of human rights …Fr. McManus is ‘The Apostle of Human Rights for Northern Ireland.’”—Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-NY). 1980.

“Thank-you [Fr. McManus] for your gracious invitation to become a ‘Congressional Friend’ of the Irish National Caucus. The warm welcome that I have received from the Irish people on my visits there has gladdened my heart and made me always hopeful that people throughout Ireland will live in a climate of peace and nonviolence.”—Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). 2003; appointed U.S. secretary of state by President Obama in 2009.

“I am a Protestant (which normally I would not mention). However, I had to turn to a Catholic priest, Father Sean McManus, to seek justice for the murder of my son, Raymond Jr. Father McManus helped me get a powerful Congressional hearing into young Raymond’s murder and expose state collusion in his murder.”— Raymond McCord Sr., Belfast. 2011.

“Fr. McManus, from his Capitol Hill office, has been a prominent and influential figure in the quest for progress and peace with justice in Northern Ireland, blending knowledge of his native land with experience drawn from his years of dealing with the intricacies of the political system in his adopted one. His has been a unique role. Long may it continue.”—Ray O’Hanlon. editor of The Irish Echo. New York. 2011.

 

“Fr. Sean McManus is a man to be reckoned with when it comes to advocating causes.  His espousal of the  MacBride Principles back in the 1980s caused fits for the British government … McManus has also been a constant watchdog in Washington on Irish  affairs  and  has  been  hugely  successful  in setting the Irish-American agenda over the past 30 years.”—Niall O’Dowd. Editor of The Irish Voice, New York. 1990.

 

“The master … in publicity terms, is Father Sean McManus, a burly, plausible charmer whose Irish National Caucus has taken center stage …  the good Father has made himself expert in congressional lobbying techniques  …  I  spent  a  long  and, to be perfectly frank, rather enjoyable afternoon with Father McManus in his Capitol Hill office … and it became clear that  he  hadn’t  been  raised  as  a  clerical  apologist  for    nothing.”—Christopher Hitchens, public intellectual, author of God Is Not Great, and The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice. The Spectator. England. October 5, 1985.

“We did not take him [INC President, Fr. Sean McManus] very seriously at first, but the MacBride Principles have caused serious problems and cost millions to try to counteract.”—A Senior British official in Northern Ireland—Sunday Life. Belfast).1992.

“The fanfare of publicity about new and tougher action against job discrimination, for example, is designed, at least in part, to help the British Government to counter the extremely effective campaign on the MacBride Principles which is being waged by the Irish National Caucus in the United States.”—The Irish Times. Dublin. 1987.

“I support the Irish National Caucus in its important work for justice and peace in Northern Ireland and would be proud to be associated with this worthy organization.”—Rep. Peter T. King (R- NY) 1994.

“It makes one want to stand up and cheer.” Author Sharon Chang, 2011.

“Northern Ireland’s most diligent champion in America.”— Sharon Chang. February 6, 2020

 

Friday, September 27, 2024

 

Nice to see a Belfast Protestant defending Blessed Virgin Mary

Letters to the Editor. Irish News. Belfast. Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Fr. Sean McManus. Washington, D.C.

It was very nice seeing a good Belfast Protestant, Wallace Thompson, standing up to defend the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit – “Godless fools don’t deserve to be called Protestants” (September 19).

Wallace was responding to my letter, “Why the silence from Catholic and Protestant Churches over vile chant?” (September 12), regarding the Irish News report on the horrible alleged chants at Coleraine FC social club, “F… the Virgin Mary” – Loyalists’ sectarian chants at Irish League soccer club (August 13).

“ It breaks my heart and wounds my soul any time I see the Blessed Virgin Mary insulted and blasphemed against

It breaks my heart and wounds my soul any time I see the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Most Holy Redeemer, insulted and blasphemed against. And one can be sure that it deeply offends Jesus Christ Himself. It is such an awful assault on the foundation of the Christian faith – the Blessed Trinity and the incarnation – that I feel the only word for it can be “satanic.” Because how can anyone, especially Christians, utter such depraved and diabolical language against God’s revealed plan of salvation: that the second person of the Blessed Trinity/God’s Son/ God’s Word had to become human – had to be incarnated – and the only way, in God’s plan of salvation, that could happen was for His Word to be born of a human woman by the power of the Holy Spirit… And of all the wonderful women in the world, God chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of His Son – giving Mary a unique and indispensable relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Mary was the first Christian, the first follower of Jesus (even though it was Jesus who ‘followed her around’ for nine months in her womb, and later as a toddler and young boy)… How could anyone hate the Blessed Virgin Mary? Only Satan can because Satan hates Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of Mary.

If you reject Mary – remove her from the picture, so to speak – you reject God’s plan of salvation, as the Gospel beautifully and plainly reveals.

It is obvious from everything I’ve said that Mary was human, which dismisses the big lie that Catholics worship Mary as if she were God.

Nothing could be more outrageously, ridiculously false. If Mary were not human, the incarnation could not have happened – the Word would not have been “made flesh”.

Finally, I should mention it is also important to realize that the Blessed Virgin Mary was not some weak, timid, servile person (as some Christian art can imply) but a strong, fearless woman of great faith, justice, and solidarity.

Her famous Magnificat powerfully proclaims God as a God of social justice. The Catholic Dictionary of Fundamental Theology says it is the strongest canticle/song in the entire New Testament and describes it as the first song of liberation in the New Testament. This same dictionary declares: “Our age needs a theology of freedom and liberation that will faithfully echo Mary’s Magnificat as preserved in the memory of the Church.”

Again, who could hate the Blessed Virgin Mary?

 

 

Fr. McManus, Raymond McCord, and                                                                                                                                                  Congressman Richie Neal.  Capitol Hill. 2009.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING

Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus

“Famed Belfast Protestant victims campaigner Raymond McCord is leading a strong call for the ICRIR, headed by former Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, to be scrapped.”—Fr. Sean McManus.

The Labor government pledged to repeal the Legacy Act of  The King-in-Parliament.( ‘The King-in-Parliament’— or Monarch in Parliament or Crown in Parliament— is the official, formal expression used to describe the British legislature, composed of the Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons.

It helps to remind us all that no Bill can become an Act without the Royal Assent—in this case, the assent of King Charles III).

Though the Labor government  pledged to repeal the Legacy Act of the King-in-Parliament, Secretary of State Hilary Benn has stated that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) will be retained.

The Court of Appeal ruled on Friday, September 20, 2024, that the ICRIR is incapable of conducting human rights-compliant investigations into killings.

Senior judges held that the ICRIR cannot ensure effective participation for family victims.

Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan ruled: “We find that this regime offends against the proper aim of the ICRIR expressed in its written submissions that ‘the organization is made up of personnel that are able to conduct their work free of state interference’.”

The King-in-Parliament has the power to cover-up any information they deem to be in the interest of national security. This veto was also declared unlawful by the Court of Appeal.

Congress and the American Government must speak up on this key issue. —Fr. Sean McManus

 

 

 

 

Irish Congressional Briefing

Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus

McCORD KEEPS UP HIS EXTRAORDINARY CAMPAIGN.

HE HAS DONE AMAZING WORK AND IS AN INSPIRATION

TO  ALL VICTIMS OF THE KING-IN-PARLIAMENT.

—Fr. Sean McManus.

Richard Sullivan. Sunday World. Belfast. September 22, 2024

Saturday, September 21, 2024.

“Every Irish-American, and every Irish person the world over, should welcome and applaud this excellent statement by the Ohio Bishops.” —Fr. Sean McManus.

Ohio bishops issue statement: “Standing with our Haitian brothers and sisters”

Ohio Catholic Conference    September 19, 2024

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ and all people of goodwill,

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is asked by a scholar of the law, “And who is my neighbor?” when faced with upholding the greatest commandment. Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Today, our nation is divided by partisanship and ideology, which blind us to the image of God in our neighbor, especially the unborn, the poor, and the stranger. These negative sentiments are only exacerbated by gossip, which can spread quickly across social media with no concern for the truth or those involved.

From the beginning, the human race was made in the image of God, which distinguishes us from all other created things. The arrival of Jesus Christ in human history confirms the dignity God has given to each of us, without exception. It is our belief in the dignity of human life that guides our consciences and rhetoric when engaging in politics or personal conversation. Each of us, therefore, must turn to God and ask for eyes to see the infinite dignity of every person.

Throughout our nation’s history, Catholic immigrants have come to our shores seeking freedom to worship and raise their families. Over 70 years ago, Pope Pius XII urged the Body of Christ to understand the Christian responsibility to care for migrants and refugees, writing, “Indeed, there never has been a period during which the Church has not been active in behalf of migrants, exiles and refugees.” Today, we witness newcomers to our dioceses who have escaped extreme violence and poverty and are seeking work to support themselves and their families. Some are Catholic, some are not, but all are welcome in our parishes, and all are individuals loved by God. What is our duty, as Catholics, to ensure all segments of our society, including our political leaders, view newcomers first as children of God while understanding the need to enforce reasonable limits to legal immigration? Do we ask ourselves how we would want to be received if forced to flee our homes?

Though national attention has turned to Springfield, we know that throughout Ohio our neighbors include Haitians and others fleeing inhumane conditions in their countries. Our Haitian brothers and sisters in Springfield have been granted ‘Temporary Protected Status,’ a humane federal program that protects foreign nationals from deportation to unsafe home countries. Like all people, these Haitians should be afforded the respect and dignity that are theirs by right and allowed the ability to contribute to the common good. The recent influx of so many migrants in a brief time has caused a strain on the city’s resources. We applaud all those community groups working hard to advance the flourishing of Springfield, given the need to integrate newcomers into the social fabric. If we remain true to our principles, we can have a dialogue about immigration without scapegoating groups of people for societal issues beyond their control.

The Letter of Saint James warns, “Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire… With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God” (James 3:5-6, 9). As the residents of Springfield, Ohio struggle with violent threats and life disruptions fueled by unfettered social media posts, we exhort the Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill not to perpetuate ill will toward anyone involved based on unfounded gossip. Instead, we ask for prayers and support for all the people of Springfield as they integrate their new Haitian neighbors and build a better future together.

 

Pope Francis, like Pope Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II before him, reminds us that we are all migrants on this earth headed toward the “true homeland,” the Kingdom of Heaven. On September 29, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, we are asked by the Holy Father to reflect upon the need to open our eyes to those brothers and sisters who might live in the shadows of our parishes and communities. The Catholic Church continues to pray and work in places of violence and economic despair so that individuals and families do not have to flee their homeland. In the meantime, let us reject a mindset of judging who belongs to our community and put on the mind of Christ to understand that God walks with all his people, especially those in need.

 

 

 

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING

Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus

“You do not understand the problem in Northern Ireland if you do not understand the absolute anti-Catholic hatred England has used to dominate Ireland for centuries. That pathology is still visible in the Six Counties, which the King-in-Parliament still dominates, and which the British Constitution and  King Charles’ Coronation Oath effectively justifies.” —Fr. Sean McManus.

Condemnation of loyalist band’s anti-Catholic tunes

Hillhaven Flute Band filmed playing offensive air at parade promoted by DUP MP

Connla Young. Irish News. Belfast. Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

LOYALIST bands have been filmed playing hate-filled anti-Catholic anthems at a parade promoted by DUP MP Carla Lockhart.

Footage has emerged of the band playing the air to the loyalist favorite ‘No Pope of Rome’ – an offensive song that mocks the Catholic faith.

Clips circulated on social media show members of Hillhaven Flute Band, which is based in Co Armagh, playing the sectarian tune during a parade in Banbridge last Friday.

Up to 70 bands took part in the parade organised by Downshire Guiding Star Flute Band, with the expected number of participants listed at 5,000.

Ahead of the parade, the Upper Bann MP promoted it on her Facebook page by reposting a message that appears to have been taken from the Downshire Guiding Star Parade and Competition Facebook page.

The DUP was contacted but did not respond.

Footage shows dozens of people watching Hillhaven Flute Band as it makes its way along Bridge Street, the main thoroughfare through Banbridge, with some appearing to sing along as “No Pope of Rome” is played.

The openly sectarian anthem includes the words: “No, no Pope of Rome, no chapels to sadden my eyes, no nuns and no priests, no Rosary beads, every day is the Twelfth of July.”

It also includes the lines: “Oh give me a home where there’s no Pope of Rome, where there’s nothing but Protestants stay, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and flute bands play The Sash every day.”

Another clip shows Markethill Protestant Boys playing The Billy Boys.

Again, the footage was captured at Bridge Street as excited onlookers joined in the song’s chorus, which makes reference to being “up to our knees in Fenian blood.”

Alliance MLA Eóin Tennyson said, “Any sectarian songs, chants, or anything else must be utterly condemned.”

“This sort of behavior is completely unacceptable in Northern Ireland and achieves nothing except increasing tensions locally,” he said.

“I urge the bands involved to reflect on their actions. All local representatives must be unequivocal in their condemnation of this type of behavior.”

The melody of sectarian tunes included ‘No Pope of Rome’ and a song glorifying the UVF.

SDLP Policing Board member Mark H Durkan said: “Public displays of sectarianism must be condemned, and police have a duty to investigate the footage from this event.

“There will be people from a wide range of backgrounds living in this area and nobody should be subjected to this on their doorsteps.

“Everyone has the right to celebrate their culture, but it cannot be at the expense of causing fear or intimidation to anyone else.”

When contacted, the PSNI initially said: “Police have not received any reports at this time but are aware of a video online and are conducting a number of inquiries.”

When pressed on whether police are treating the incident as an act of sectarian violence, a spokesperson referred to the previous statement.

Last month the PSNI said they were treating a similar incident as a “sectarian-motivated hate incident” after anti-Catholic and loyalist songs were sung during an event at Coleraine FC social club.