Angelus to peal on, but not necessarily to appeal

Bong. It turns the six o'clock news into the six-one-news. Bong. It is the practice of commemorating the mystery of the Incarnation. Bong. It remains a subject of continuous, if low-key, debate. In a week when an RTE survey revealed a national decline in attendance at Catholic Masses, is it now time to update the Angelus?

According to the Catholic Press Office, the origins of the Angelus are somewhat "obscure" but go back well before the Reformation.

"It is certain that the evening ringing came first," said a spokesman. "In 1269, St Bonaventure recommended to people that they should imitate the custom of the Franciscan Order of reciting three Hail Marys when the bell rang in the evening". A prayer which begins, The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, is also said.

St Bonaventure, say opponents of the Angelus, has a lot to answer for. Three groups of three bells followed by a set of nine bells at noon and 6 p.m. 365 days of the year to be precise. The sound of the bell has been broadcast on RTE radio since the 1950s and was continued with the advent of TV in the 1960s. RTE says it has no plans to remove it in the foreseeable future.

Gary Byrnes, editor of SIX magazine, a new publication circulated in the Dublin 6 area, is a staunch opponent. In the current issue he describes the Angelus as "a sectarian religious ceremony that has no place on the State-owned broadcasting service".

"RTE is supposed to be about reflecting modern Ireland. I believe it would do this more effectively if all religions in Ireland were treated equally," he said.

The debate has continued in the letters pages of this newspaper, with views for and against. One correspondent said visitors to this State "commend this practice of a public call to prayer and if some do not exactly say the Angelus as such, they are free to substitute their own form of prayer". Another writer claimed the Angelus amounted to a breach of the constitution in which the State "guarantees not to endow any religion".

Mr Kevin Healy, director of public affairs with RTE and former director of radio with the national station, said the Angelus was an issue that is discussed at top level "from time to time".

"I receive very little correspondence seeking either its removal or retention. There are currently no plans to remove it," he said. "It is now regarded by many as a pause for prayer and that is how it is introduced on some programmes."

It is understood, however, that at least one section of RTE, the news department, is seeking to have the Angelus abolished for reasons more of scheduling than religion. It is said to be a source of annoyance that while other stations start their news programme at six, our national news starts one minute later because of the Angelus.

The Angelus is also broadcast on several local stations around the country, including Radio Kilkenny, which introduces the bells by saying "and now we pause for prayer".

One radio station that will "never ever" broadcast the Angelus, according to general manager Ken Hutton, is 98FM. "Our audience is in the Dublin area and we acknowledge there are a lot of people in that audience who are not Catholics. We respect that."

Soundbite, RTE Radio One's media programme, will debate the Angelus this morning.