CARDINAL IN APPEAL TO OMAGH BOMBERS
Cardinal in appeal to Omagh bombers
By Margaret Canning
ARD1NAL Sean Brady has urged the Omagh bombers "to do the right thing before God" and give themselves up.
Dr Brady, pictured, made the plea yesterday during an address at the Humbert Summer School in Ballina, Co Mayo.
The leader of Ireland's Catholics also praised the Orange Order for its "efforts to promote dialogue and understanding".
He strongly condemned attacks on Orange halls and urged all people to reject sectarian attitudes.
In a message to those responsible for the bombing in which 29 people - including a woman pregnant with twins - were killed 10 years ago this month, Dr Brady said: "Before the innocent children, women and men you massacred, I appeal to you to do the right thing before God.
"I appeal to your hearts and human dignity. Give yourselves up to justice in this world before you face judgment in the next."
Dr Brady also called on those with information about the bombing to give it to police.
"You also have a duty before God. The families of those killed and the surviving victims have suffered enough. Help them to receive justice," he said.
"If you have any humanity left in your heart at all, do all that you can to ease at least a little of their pain."
Dr Brady's wide-ranging address also covered the EU and the role of religion in Ireland, including the fight against sectarianism.
"The Orange Order deserves credit for what I believe are sincere and convincing efforts to promote dialogue and understanding. These should be acknowledged and reciprocated," he said.
"Attacks on Orange halls, such as those which took place last week around Armagh, deserve to be unequivocally condemned.
"They are symptomatic of a sectarian pathology which is evil and has to be continually challenged in ourselves and every aspect of social, religious and political life."
Dr Brady said peace in the north was a "remarkable achievement".
"I believe it continues to be a robust and secure process. My confidence in it is strengthened by growing signs of maturity around formerly intractable issues such as parades," he said.
"Efforts to deal with the past are also important and may give deeper roots to the stability we now enjoy.
"The sensitivities around the commemorations of the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bombing, however, remind us just how difficult a task this will be."
Dr Brady praised the "moderating influence" of the EU in the north but said the bloc's future could be jeopardised by secularisation, which he said was partly responsible for the Republic voting against the Lisbon Treaty.
By Margaret Canning
ARD1NAL Sean Brady has urged the Omagh bombers "to do the right thing before God" and give themselves up.
Dr Brady, pictured, made the plea yesterday during an address at the Humbert Summer School in Ballina, Co Mayo.
The leader of Ireland's Catholics also praised the Orange Order for its "efforts to promote dialogue and understanding".
He strongly condemned attacks on Orange halls and urged all people to reject sectarian attitudes.
In a message to those responsible for the bombing in which 29 people - including a woman pregnant with twins - were killed 10 years ago this month, Dr Brady said: "Before the innocent children, women and men you massacred, I appeal to you to do the right thing before God.
"I appeal to your hearts and human dignity. Give yourselves up to justice in this world before you face judgment in the next."
Dr Brady also called on those with information about the bombing to give it to police.
"You also have a duty before God. The families of those killed and the surviving victims have suffered enough. Help them to receive justice," he said.
"If you have any humanity left in your heart at all, do all that you can to ease at least a little of their pain."
Dr Brady's wide-ranging address also covered the EU and the role of religion in Ireland, including the fight against sectarianism.
"The Orange Order deserves credit for what I believe are sincere and convincing efforts to promote dialogue and understanding. These should be acknowledged and reciprocated," he said.
"Attacks on Orange halls, such as those which took place last week around Armagh, deserve to be unequivocally condemned.
"They are symptomatic of a sectarian pathology which is evil and has to be continually challenged in ourselves and every aspect of social, religious and political life."
Dr Brady said peace in the north was a "remarkable achievement".
"I believe it continues to be a robust and secure process. My confidence in it is strengthened by growing signs of maturity around formerly intractable issues such as parades," he said.
"Efforts to deal with the past are also important and may give deeper roots to the stability we now enjoy.
"The sensitivities around the commemorations of the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bombing, however, remind us just how difficult a task this will be."
Dr Brady praised the "moderating influence" of the EU in the north but said the bloc's future could be jeopardised by secularisation, which he said was partly responsible for the Republic voting against the Lisbon Treaty.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN10An/29
Published Date: 25-Aug-08
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