The idea that Catholicism was merely a "collection of prohibitions" must be corrected, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland, Dr Seán Brady said yesterday after the Vatican announced he is to be made a cardinal next month.
The 68-year-old native of Laragh, Co Cavan will be elevated to the Consistory of Cardinals in Rome on November 24th, joining fellow Irish cardinals Cathal Daly and Desmond Connell.
The archbishop, quoting Benedict XVI, said his constant mission must be to "be bold in speaking of the joy that comes from following Christ". The "life giving and life enhancing" message of the Gospel must be emphasised, while any negative views of Catholicism must be corrected, he added.
At a press conference beside St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh, he called for prayers that Ireland would be renewed in its faith. He rejected any suggestion that such a renewal was a "lost cause".
"I never regarded [a renewal of faith] as a lost cause because it does not depend on me; it depends on the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit does not back losers," the archbishop said. While Ireland now has three cardinals for the first time, the archbishop will be the only one who is young enough to be entitled to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. This was one of three additional responsibilities he would have as cardinal and "one I hope I will not have for a long time and one I may not have at all".
His two other tasks would be advising the pope through the Consistory of Cardinals and providing advice "on an individual basis" to the pope, he explained.
He said he was deeply honoured and humbled by the appointment, which was honouring the Catholic Church in Ireland and those individuals "who in spite of the great challenges faced by the church in Ireland in recent years, of the many reasons to feel hurt or unheard or uncertain, have remained faithful to the message of Jesus".
He thanked the leaders of the three main Protestant churches for their messages of support. "I hope that they will see in this announcement a renewed expression of the commitment of the Catholic Church to the vital work of ecumenical dialogue, and greater understanding and reconciliation be- tween the various traditions of Northern Ireland," he said. His appointment was also an expression of the pope's desire to see the peace process continue to succeed, he added.
Messages of congratulations were also extended from President McAleese, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the Office of First and Deputy First Minister, the British government and Opposition leaders.