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Belfast priest says united Ireland is now irrelevant, praises Queen

Fr Eugene O’Neill’s comments provoke strong reaction

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 7:54 AM

Updated Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 9:35 AM

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Fr Eugene O’Neill

Photo by Berlfast Newsletter

A prominent Catholic parish priest in Belfast has claimed nationalism is irrelevant, slammed the Catholic Church in the Republic and hailed the Queen of England as a defender of his faith.

Fr Eugene O’Neill has provoked a storm of protest with his comments, made in an interview with the Newsletter newspaper in the city.

Fr O’Neill, the 45-year-old in charge of the parish of St Mary’s On The Hill, claimed that no catholic priests under the age of 45 are interested in removing the north-south border,

He has also told the paper that many Catholics are ‘re-thinking’ their nationalism and said that many are questioning whether. as Catholics, they necessarily had to be nationalist and look to Dublin when the ‘United Kingdom was more respectful of Christian churches’.

He made his comments to the paper in the wake of a broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster.

“As an Irish passport-holder I see the Queen and senior British government figures as defenders of faith in the UK,” claimed Fr O’Neill.

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“There are similarities between how the Irish government is making life difficult for churches and how repressive communist regimes have persecuted Christians. The Republic is now a cold house for Catholicism.”

Singling out the ‘atheistic’ Tanaiste (deputy PM) Eamon Gilmore for particular rebuke, Fr O’Neill said that the UK Government had demonstrated a respect and appreciation for the role of Christian churches which ‘Catholics could support’.

“I’m 45 - for my generation of priests and everyone below us, the national question is irrelevant; literally irrelevant,” he said.

“No-one is interested in discussing that - people are interested in discussing Europe, what’s going to happen to Greece, whether the Euro will last... no-one is interested in the national question.

“There’s a desire to say that we have to unpick this fusion between one sort of politics and faith because history has shown us that that has always been a mistake.”

Asked to explain his comments, Fr O’Neill said: “It’s been engendered by the present events with the coalition in the south, starting last year particularly with the attack by the Taoiseach (PM) in the Dail and the particularly focused nature of the attack on the handling of the whole abuse issue.

“Whilst there is certainly a huge amount that the church at a local level did wrong and it behaved egregiously - there is no doubt about that - it is certainly also the case that the Irish state horrendously failed to acknowledge its part in that.

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IrelandNorth | Feb 27, 2012, 08:30 AM EST

The Irish Times, Ireland's quality broadsheet has flagged up the benefits of an all island economy. This is agreed with by progressive unionist opinion. And what is financially beneficial to the wealthy has an uncanny habit of coming to pass. The demographics of the northerised Ireland is inexorably shifting towards a Roman Catholic working class majority in favour or a reunited Ireland. I suspect this article is an attempt by recalcitrant Ulster unionism to preserve the undemocratic status quo, using a middle-class Roman Catholic priest to do so. Who would have ever though we'd see a Roman Catholic Paisley. With Scotland (followed by Wales) manoeuvering to leave the Union, a united Ireland has never been more relevant. But maybe that clearer to 'southerners' (sic) secularists than northern unreconstructred theocrats.

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seanomelb | Feb 24, 2012, 09:52 PM EST

And they are correct Gearoid, no church should have any say in a secular education, as an atheist I would say send your children to sunday school.Your absolutely correct maryosullivan the catholic heirarchy never have backed the people, they always take the side of the status quo.The church took it's blood money and maynooth from the British and they have been thanking them ever since.And might I add every priest recieved food and drink rations from their British masters during "an Gorta Mor" whilst the people starved shame on them.

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maryosullivan | Feb 24, 2012, 05:05 PM EST

What is new about this? Surely we shouldn't we surprised that a member of the Catholic clergy once more tries to sellout Ireland. With the exception of Fr. Des Wilson and a few others it's what the clergy has always done. Has Eugene O'Neill ever uttered a single word of concern for the plight of Marian Price or Gerry McGeough, both in poor health and both locked up on bogus charges? Or for the dozens of others innocents locked up for lifetimes

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Gearoid4 | Feb 24, 2012, 03:12 PM EST

@Seanomelb, My main point was not to infer that the agenda of certain government ministers in the Republic of Ireland was shared by all people who did not believe in God. Rather I was pointing to the common motivation shared by ministers Gilmore and Quinn in their determined ideologically-driven campaigns to reduce Church involvement in education and other areas to such an extent, that religion would be reduced to a marginalized remnant without an equitable voice. These ministers are avowedly atheistic in their outlook and their politics seems to be motivated to a large degree by the militant form of this school of thought. I would not equate their attitude in any way with the moderate opinion shared by the majority of atheists. In fact, it can be a much more interesting and rewarding experience, to converse with a thinking atheist, in search of the answers to the questions to life, than putting up with the watered down compromises of so-called Catholics who betray their calling.

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IrelandNorth | Feb 24, 2012, 08:23 AM EST

If An t'Ath. Ui Neil wishes to represent his constituency, he should submit himself to an inconvenient truth called democracy. What is about Ulster that keeps throwing up troglydatic theocrats. An t'Ath. Ui Neil is merely rearranging the deckcairs on his theocratic titanic before it runs aground on the belated icebergs of Irish secularism. Ulster unionism is courting middle-class Roman Catholics to preserve the sanctity of their neo-provincial to preserve their hegemony on northernised Ireland. Home Rule is Rome Rule.

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enufpedophiles | Feb 24, 2012, 12:39 AM EST

catholic priests should keep their heads down and their mouths shut. they are lucky they are not being strung up around the countryside.

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upsceach | Feb 24, 2012, 12:16 AM EST

Klennox, I agree with you there. Did he not hear of Henry VIII and Cromwell and the plantations, what a gobshite.

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KLennox | Feb 23, 2012, 11:24 PM EST

I think Fr Eugene O’Neill should shut up and move to England. Permanently. Many Irish are rethinking THEIR ATTACHMENT TO THE IRRELEVANT CATHOLIC CHURCH.

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barneyjo | Feb 23, 2012, 07:57 PM EST

@anybody - John Charles McQuaid is no more or less entitled to his good name than anyone else. And leaving tittle-tattle aside, given his place in modern Irish history, he still has a case to answer. Mc Quaid himself gave little thought to the good name or reputation of those who he considered did not fit in with his viewpoint and outlook on Catholic Ireland. What has certainly been proven at least to my own satisfaction that on his watch he, like many before him did untold damage to the development of the Irish psyche and consciousness. In that he wasnt alone, but his influence was greatest at a pivotal time in early years of the history of the Irish state.

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warrenpoint00 | Feb 23, 2012, 07:11 PM EST

I would have to suspect this little priest is trying to make a name for himself, he would be better off trying to find help for the victims of abuse from some of his paedophile clergy friends than trying to determine what is right for the normal society of Irish nationalists.

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NYCsheridan | Feb 23, 2012, 07:02 PM EST

youtube dot com/watch?v=vkOpgr1ElXg&feature=related

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seanomelb | Feb 23, 2012, 06:32 PM EST

Gearoid the accusation was made against McQuaid and his death leaves an element of doubt.He certainly must have been aware of the abuse by his priests.I would like you to answer my question as to what atheistic agenda the government is following as you fail to address this point.You were very quick in defending McQuaid but that was only part of my post.

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Gearoid4 | Feb 23, 2012, 06:20 PM EST

@Seanomelb You have made a very defamatory remark against a man, namely Archbishop McQuaid, who cannot defend himself due to being deceased for some years. His autocratic style of leadership and perceived cold remoteness have given him a bad press in recent years in regards to his legacy. But it is another thing to regard salacious tittle-tattle as being positive proof that the once Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin was guilty of child molestation. What about a person being entitled to his or her good name and presumption of innocence unless evidence is produced to the contrary? Have we not learn't the lesson of falsely accusing someone of a terrible crime without a shred of proof of wrongdoing as in the recent case concerning the missionary priest wrongly accused of raping a minor in Africa by RTE journalists? As regards the influence of religion, I am all for the positive contributions of Religion to society without it being directly involved in the government or constitution of a state. A healthy separation does not mean that people of Faith are silenced or their opinions mocked by the misuse of the laws of the land in the name of a secularized state devoid of moral content. Ireland in effect were once dominated by a unhealthy alliance of church and state in both jurisdictions. The Church should always keep a healthy distance from government parties while making worthwhile contributions to society.

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eiriamach | Feb 23, 2012, 01:33 PM EST

@barneyjo, perhaps I put that point too strongly. I'd like to hear more about the "federal shape with the likelihood of a continuing Regional Assembly in Belfast." The USA has a federal structure, and the USSR, while it existed, had a federal structure-- two vastly different forms of government. What would an all-island Irish federalism look like? I agree that the problem is more complex than the status of religion in either the Republic or NI. But I think that diminishing the organized political power of religion in both places cannot harm the process and is likely to help.

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joemccullough | Feb 23, 2012, 11:59 AM EST

I often debate who has hurt Ireland more, Rome or London. From English Pope Adrian IV on, it's been one long tale of misery. This man's words disgrace his own mother.

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