Dublin Archbishop gives communions and confirmations the go-ahead despite restrictions

"The format of such ceremonies should be adapted."

The Archbishop of Dublin has given communions and confirmations the go-ahead despite current public health advice. Government and NPHET have both stressed that events like Communions and Confirmations should not be taking place at the moment, especially because of the social aspect involved in both events. However, the Archbishop has written to the priests in his archdiocese and has given both services his approval. Archbishop Dermot Farrell informed 200 parishes that they can go ahead with Communions and Confirmations if they feel safe. "It would be prudent to ensure that families confirm their awareness of the public health guidelines regarding household mixing," he said. He believes it is unfair to ban Communions and Confirmations because of Government's fear that they will lead to family gatherings and socialising. He believes these restrictions are discriminatory. He said, "This is perplexing, as no such prohibitions were applied to other events such as sporting or civic events or other family occasions." The co-founder of the Association of Catholic Priests, Father Tony Flannery, has warned that going ahead with such events will increase the spread of the Delta variant and that he was "concerned" about families going against the advice of the government. “It gives an opening to more extreme groups like the anti-vaxxers and people like that, and that's very unhelpful," he said. "The religious aspect of the ceremony doesn't mean much... it's all about what happens afterwards [...] the money the young person will get.”