BISHOP DESCRIBES BOMB AS SENSELESS AND BRUTAL ATROCITY
Bishop describes bomb as senseless and brutal atrocity
THE BISHOP OF DERRY, Most Rev. Dr. Hegarty, described the Omagh bombing as a senseless and brutal atrocity which left a trail of death and destruction, the fall-out, of which will be felt for a long time, when he addressed mourners following Requiem Mass in Buncrana.
He asked the congregation to pray for the
grace of repentance for all those who were responsible for this atrocity and spoke of his confidence, that the public reaction which the atrocious murders in Omagh had generated, would mark the crossing of the Rubicon in modern Irish history.
Bishop Hegarty received a spontaneous round of applause from mourners in St. Mary's Church, Cockhill, Bnncrana when he called on Northern Ireland's First Minister, David Trimble, who was amongst the congregation, to continue on the path of the peace as ratified in the Good Friday Agreement.
"Father Shane Bradley has articulated very well the thoughts of all of us on this occasion, insofar as they can be expressed. Our own words, no matter how carefully we choose them or how sincerely meant they are, are inadequate in the face of the grief which we all feel. This grief is felt most intensely of all by the Barker, the Doherty and the McLaughlin families. This is a grief which is shared by the whole community, not just of Buncrana but all of Ireland and beyond. I wish to express my deepest sympathy to all of you, most of all to
Victor and Donna Marie, Michael and Bernie, John and Patricia, to the extended families, to our Spanish friends especially the Baselga and the Ramos families, and to all the people of Buncrana. I bring to you the sympathy, the support and the prayers of Bishop Lagan, Bishop Daly, the priests and the people of the diocese, many of whom are here today. Our hope is that even in your intense grief you will feel supported and strengthened in this persona] and family tragedy by the prayerful support, of the whole diocesan family and the many others who are joining in prayer with you. We commend James, Oran, Sean, Fernando and Rocio to God. We do so with great confidence because Jesus said, and it is the words of Jesus to us which gives meaning to an event like this, 'Let the little children come to me, do not keep them back,' Bishop Hegarty said.
"The Omagh bombing has been a senseless and a brutal atrocity. It has left a trail of death and destruction, the fall-out of which will be felt for a long time. That is already evident in the four hospitals. One depressing and tragic aspect of the Omagh bombing has been the number of children who either have lost their lives or have been orphaned.
"May the consoling hand of the Risen Christ touch all who are bereaved today and may that hand also bring healing to all who are wounded and in pain. 'Peace be with you' were the words of Jesus to His Apostles and followers, they are His words to us today, words rich and
overflowing with love, with caring, with consolation, with hope, with help - all He asks of us is that we trust Him. 'Do not be afraid' Jesus said. Our fear, our anguish, our heartbreak today, intense and profound as they are, can and will be eased by Jesus who himself experienced pain, mutilation, and death, and who alone can bring real consolation and healing," he added.
"Come, Lord Jesus, be with us all here today your broken, grieving children. Be with the Barker, Doherty and McLaughlin families. Be with all the young people of the parish - reveal yourself to them - assure them of your closeness to them and your love for them in the face of this evil deed which they cannot comprehend or understand. Be with our young Spanish visitors who mourn for Fernando Blasco Baselga (12) and Rocio Abad Ramon (24). Comfort and console the grieving parents and the worried parents of all our Spanish guests. Despite this horrific experience twenty of you have chosen to remain in Buncrana. You had a choice of going back to Madrid or remaining here. Thank you for the eloquent support and solidarity which you have shown by remaining in Buncrana," the Bishop said.
"This is a pastoral occasion and I want to keep it that way by avoiding any political comment. That may be for another time and another place. But one last thing I want to say is to ask you in your charity to pray for the grace of repentance for all of those who were responsible for this atrocity. Pray for those who ordered the making of the bomb, for those who constructed it, for those who transported it and for all who were in any way participants in procuring this infamous instrument of death and destruction. They all stand guilty before Almighty God, they have done a great wrong and committed a grave sin. I want them to hear this call - a call made more out of pastoral concern and charity than of anger.
"I ask them to repent, to resolve to give up their immoral trade in destruction and death not temporarily or conditionally hut permanently and to seek forgiveness. It is necessary that they do so, otherwise their eventual destination for eternity will not be where James, Oran, Sean, Fernando and Rocio are today. To all who engage in acts of violence which have the capacity to cause serious injury I say to you as bishop of this diocese on this important occasion. Your intentions are wrong, your deeds are sinful. Repent while you have time. When you stand before the judgement seat of God do not say that you have not been warned. I pray for your conversion to the way of Christ's peace. Unless you repent, no ideological or political considerations will even begin to exonerate you from the great sin against God, against humanity and against this community of which you now stand guilty.
"I have every confidence that the public reaction which the atrocious murders in Omagh generated, which is so universal and so compelling|y stated by people of all ages at home and abroad will mark the crossing of the Rubicon in modern Irish history. The people have spoken and will continue to speak. The people must not just be heard but listened to. The new Northern Ireland Assembly presents the best and only way forward, May it prosper. May you Mr Trimble, and your colleagues in the Assembly have the wisdom and the courage you need to serve the interests of peace for all our people. The young people whose funeral we celebrate today, and their deceased and injured colleagues, may well in time be recognised as our newest and most effective victims for peace."
THE BISHOP OF DERRY, Most Rev. Dr. Hegarty, described the Omagh bombing as a senseless and brutal atrocity which left a trail of death and destruction, the fall-out, of which will be felt for a long time, when he addressed mourners following Requiem Mass in Buncrana.
He asked the congregation to pray for the
grace of repentance for all those who were responsible for this atrocity and spoke of his confidence, that the public reaction which the atrocious murders in Omagh had generated, would mark the crossing of the Rubicon in modern Irish history.
Bishop Hegarty received a spontaneous round of applause from mourners in St. Mary's Church, Cockhill, Bnncrana when he called on Northern Ireland's First Minister, David Trimble, who was amongst the congregation, to continue on the path of the peace as ratified in the Good Friday Agreement.
"Father Shane Bradley has articulated very well the thoughts of all of us on this occasion, insofar as they can be expressed. Our own words, no matter how carefully we choose them or how sincerely meant they are, are inadequate in the face of the grief which we all feel. This grief is felt most intensely of all by the Barker, the Doherty and the McLaughlin families. This is a grief which is shared by the whole community, not just of Buncrana but all of Ireland and beyond. I wish to express my deepest sympathy to all of you, most of all to
Victor and Donna Marie, Michael and Bernie, John and Patricia, to the extended families, to our Spanish friends especially the Baselga and the Ramos families, and to all the people of Buncrana. I bring to you the sympathy, the support and the prayers of Bishop Lagan, Bishop Daly, the priests and the people of the diocese, many of whom are here today. Our hope is that even in your intense grief you will feel supported and strengthened in this persona] and family tragedy by the prayerful support, of the whole diocesan family and the many others who are joining in prayer with you. We commend James, Oran, Sean, Fernando and Rocio to God. We do so with great confidence because Jesus said, and it is the words of Jesus to us which gives meaning to an event like this, 'Let the little children come to me, do not keep them back,' Bishop Hegarty said.
"The Omagh bombing has been a senseless and a brutal atrocity. It has left a trail of death and destruction, the fall-out of which will be felt for a long time. That is already evident in the four hospitals. One depressing and tragic aspect of the Omagh bombing has been the number of children who either have lost their lives or have been orphaned.
"May the consoling hand of the Risen Christ touch all who are bereaved today and may that hand also bring healing to all who are wounded and in pain. 'Peace be with you' were the words of Jesus to His Apostles and followers, they are His words to us today, words rich and
overflowing with love, with caring, with consolation, with hope, with help - all He asks of us is that we trust Him. 'Do not be afraid' Jesus said. Our fear, our anguish, our heartbreak today, intense and profound as they are, can and will be eased by Jesus who himself experienced pain, mutilation, and death, and who alone can bring real consolation and healing," he added.
"Come, Lord Jesus, be with us all here today your broken, grieving children. Be with the Barker, Doherty and McLaughlin families. Be with all the young people of the parish - reveal yourself to them - assure them of your closeness to them and your love for them in the face of this evil deed which they cannot comprehend or understand. Be with our young Spanish visitors who mourn for Fernando Blasco Baselga (12) and Rocio Abad Ramon (24). Comfort and console the grieving parents and the worried parents of all our Spanish guests. Despite this horrific experience twenty of you have chosen to remain in Buncrana. You had a choice of going back to Madrid or remaining here. Thank you for the eloquent support and solidarity which you have shown by remaining in Buncrana," the Bishop said.
"This is a pastoral occasion and I want to keep it that way by avoiding any political comment. That may be for another time and another place. But one last thing I want to say is to ask you in your charity to pray for the grace of repentance for all of those who were responsible for this atrocity. Pray for those who ordered the making of the bomb, for those who constructed it, for those who transported it and for all who were in any way participants in procuring this infamous instrument of death and destruction. They all stand guilty before Almighty God, they have done a great wrong and committed a grave sin. I want them to hear this call - a call made more out of pastoral concern and charity than of anger.
"I ask them to repent, to resolve to give up their immoral trade in destruction and death not temporarily or conditionally hut permanently and to seek forgiveness. It is necessary that they do so, otherwise their eventual destination for eternity will not be where James, Oran, Sean, Fernando and Rocio are today. To all who engage in acts of violence which have the capacity to cause serious injury I say to you as bishop of this diocese on this important occasion. Your intentions are wrong, your deeds are sinful. Repent while you have time. When you stand before the judgement seat of God do not say that you have not been warned. I pray for your conversion to the way of Christ's peace. Unless you repent, no ideological or political considerations will even begin to exonerate you from the great sin against God, against humanity and against this community of which you now stand guilty.
"I have every confidence that the public reaction which the atrocious murders in Omagh generated, which is so universal and so compelling|y stated by people of all ages at home and abroad will mark the crossing of the Rubicon in modern Irish history. The people have spoken and will continue to speak. The people must not just be heard but listened to. The new Northern Ireland Assembly presents the best and only way forward, May it prosper. May you Mr Trimble, and your colleagues in the Assembly have the wisdom and the courage you need to serve the interests of peace for all our people. The young people whose funeral we celebrate today, and their deceased and injured colleagues, may well in time be recognised as our newest and most effective victims for peace."
Further Information
Publisher: DERRY PEOPLE DONEGAL NEWS
Ref: DPDN/018
Published Date: 21-Aug-98
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