President Higgins wishes pope well as he takes on role ‘at a time of great challenges for the world'
Political and religious leaders in Ireland have congratulated American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on becoming the new leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV.
President Michael D Higgins extended his 'warmest congratulations' to the pontiff. 'This is an immensely significant moment for all those of faith and goodwill around the world who look to the papacy for spiritual guidance, moral clarity, and global leadership at a time described by his predecessor Pope Francis as needing the vocation of diplomacy,' he said in a statement.
Mr Higgins said Pope Leo XIV 'assumes this important role at a time of great challenges for the world'.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin also offered his congratulations to the new pontiff, saying: 'I know that he has the best wishes of all Irish people, of all traditions.'
READ MORE
In a statement Mr Martin said he hopes the 'ground swell of best wishes' from around the world will give the new pope 'strength and support as he takes on the immense responsibility of his pontificate'.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris said he believed Pope Leo XIV 'will continue to build on the extraordinary legacy left behind by his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, who taught us all the importance of kindness and humanity'.
'In a time marked by complex global challenges – from poverty and conflict to climate change – the role of moral and spiritual leadership is more vital than ever,' he added.
Catholic Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin said it was 'with great joy' that he welcomed Pope Leo XIV.
'At the end of February I and the other Irish archbishops met him and he came across as a humble and respectful listener, wanting to learn as much as possible about the church in Ireland,' he said in a post on X. 'He is a calm, affable and approachable person. He is a friend of Ireland and no doubt the Augustinian communities in Ireland will be delighted with the news.'
Cardinal Prevost is a member of the Order of St Augustine and Fr Tony Egan, head of the order in Ireland, said he believes People Leo XIV will follow in the footsteps of the late Pope Francis in terms of reaching out to 'the poor, the marginalised, migrants'.
'He will be a pope for everyone, Catholics, non-Catholics, Christians, just the general, broad humanity. He has a good heart,' Fr Egan told Drivetime on Radio 1.
The Church of Ireland's Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, John McDowell, passed on the good wishes of the Church of Ireland 'not only to Pope Leo but also to the bishops, priests and Catholic people of Ireland'.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill described the appointment of Pope Leo XIV as a 'day of profound significance', urging him to stand with Gaza like his predecessor.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
15 minutes ago
- The Journal
Taoiseach says decision on whether to scrap rent caps expected in next week
A DECISION ON whether the Government will scrap or retain Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) is expected in the next week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. The Taoiseach caused panic earlier this year when he said the Government was considering getting rid of the intervention which limits how much landlords can increase rent for properties in certain areas. The Government has been assessing whether an alternative system, which protects renters but, as the Taoiseach has said, 'also enables people to have a clear, stable environment in which to invest', can be established. It is understood that the new plan will form part of the Government's new housing plan, which is set to be published by July. Senior sources have told The Journal that it is likely that there will be no cliff edge or sudden rent increases for tenants currently in tenancies. However, landlords may be given the right to reset rents between tenancies. RPZs are in parts of the country where rents are highest and rising, and where households have the greatest difficulty finding affordable accommodation. Rents in an RPZ cannot be increased by more than the general rate of inflation or 2% per year, whichever is lower. Advertisement They were first introduced in Dublin and Cork in 2016 for a period of three years, but RPZs have since been expanded across the country. They were to remain in place until 31 December 2024 but last May, the Government agreed to extend them until 31 December 2025 . Replacing the use of RPZs was a recommendation of a landmark report by the Housing Commission last year. This was because it said the available evidence about the effectiveness of RPZ is 'mixed'. The Housing Commission recommended that a system of 'reference rents' be established in its place. The system of 'reference rents' would peg rent increases to a reference rent for local dwellings of similar quality. The Housing Commission said such a reference should be reviewed at regular intervals. 'Rent would not rise more than a certain percentage above this reference rent over a specific period,' noted the Housing Commission. It added that unsubsidised market rental dwellings should solely inform reference rents and that the percentage rent increase allowed should take account of relevant factors such as 'management and maintenance costs, interest rates, household incomes and affordability'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
28 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Scientist with ‘debilitating' condition alleges discrimination by not being allowed work from home
A scientist living with 'debilitating' endometriosis has accused international medical devices firm Abbott of discriminating against her by refusing to let her work from home to ease a daily commute of nearly four hours. The worker, who has over a decade of industry experience and advanced postgraduate qualifications, told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Tuesday she was given ten minutes to pick up her things and get off an Abbott site last autumn after being told she failed her probation. She said she was reduced to 'crying all the way back' in a colleague's arms during the drive home. Abbott Ireland Ltd is denying complaints of disability discrimination and discriminatory dismissal under the Employment Equality Act 1998 by the worker, Ms X, who has been afforded anonymity by the WRC. READ MORE Ms X was hired by Abbott in spring 2024 and spent just short of six months working in an office at an Abbott site in a county town analysing test data, but was deemed to have failed her probation and was let go that autumn, the tribunal heard. The company's representative, Fiona Egan of the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (Ibec), submitted that Ms X failed her probation for 'conduct and performance' following a number of instances of lateness and uncertified absences from work. It had 'nothing to do with her condition', she said. Shaun Boylan BL, appearing for Ms X instructed by Sean Ormonde & Co Solicitors, said the firm's policy of refusing to allow probationary employees to work from home was 'implicitly discriminatory' against his client, as it put accommodations for her disability 'on hold for six months'. Ms X said she had been diagnosed with stage two endometriosis in 2022, a condition affecting the female reproductive organs. She said it causes her 'debilitating pain', accompanied by 'nausea, fainting and dizziness' which was at its worst during the 7-8 days of her period and required prescription-only codeine and opiate painkillers to manage. The daily drive from Ms X's home to the Abbott site was 'coming up on a four-hour commute to work every day', adjudication officer Brian Dolan remarked during the hearing on Tuesday. Ms X said she thought at first she should 'just endure' the commute. Her evidence was that she was 'promised in the interview that it would be a hybrid role' and that she had turned down roles elsewhere with a five-day-a-week on-site commitment because of that. Ms X said her immediate team consisted of six or seven colleagues, but 'nobody' was in office five days a week, and 'most' were working from home. On a date six weeks after she started, a 'very sudden' departmentwide meeting was called, at which she said a senior manager declared 'there would be no more work from home possible' at the site, barring the 'possibility' of one day a week. Ms X said she was in 'excruciating pain' that day and found the message 'difficult to take'. She told the commission she went straight to her team leader 'in visible distress, with tears in my eyes' and proceeded to tell him she had endometriosis. She said her team leader was 'empathetic' and 'supportive' at that stage and gave her an assurance that a 'one week in, one week out' work from home arrangement would be possible – but only once her probation was finished. Making it in for an on-site team meeting at 9.30am meant setting out from home at 6.30am or 6.45am, Ms X said. Over seven weeks before a probationary caution letter being issued in her final weeks on the job, Ms X was late eight times and absent without a medical cert on three occasions, leading to an occupational health referral. She said a senior manager later told her: 'The company cannot offer more than one day work from home past your probation,' and urged her to find somewhere to live closer to the site. The probation review continued into the following month, and concluded when her team leader called her into a conference room and read out a letter stating that her employment was being terminated, she said. The only reason stated was: 'Your standard of performance has not met company expectations.' 'I asked why. [My team leader] said: 'Everything is in the letter,'' Ms X said. After saying she could not continue with the meeting a company HR officer told her an outstanding pay matter could be handled by email and gave her 'ten minutes to leave, to grab [my] stuff and leave the premises'. 'Everyone was crying in the car,' she said. 'I hugged my colleague, in the car, and kept crying all the way back to Dublin,' she added. The adjudicator, Mr Dolan, told Ms X he had the power to order her reinstatement as a remedy under the equality legislation if she was successful in the case. Ms X replied: 'I'd probably never come back to Abbott.' The case has been adjourned to a later date, when three company witnesses, including Ms X's team leader and the senior manager are due to give evidence.
Irish Times
43 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Teenager removed from Dublin ‘house of horrors' spent €30,000 in past year, court told
A teenage boy, who is in State care having been removed from a 'house of horrors', has spent up to €30,000 in the past year, Dublin District Childcare Court heard on Wednesday. Judge John Campbell was told that social workers do not know where the boy got the money, but fear his father, who is being sought by gardaí in relation to alleged domestic violence, may have lodged it into his account. Alternatively, the court heard, the boy may be being 'groomed' by criminals or being used as a 'money mule'. The boy is one of several siblings removed from a home in the Dublin area after the authorities were prompted to visit after one of the children attempted suicide. The same court last week heard the home described as a 'house of horrors' . READ MORE On visiting the house, authorities found locks on internal doors, neglect of children and other factors that led to fears the children's mother had been severely restricted in her movements for many years, possibly more than a decade and a half. The woman was in court on Wednesday, with support. David Stafford, solicitor for the children's guardian ad litem – an independent person appointed by the court to represent the voice of the child – said it was assumed the money had come from the father, 'but we don't know that'. Mr Stafford said the guardian ad litem wanted to know the name of the account holder who was sending the boy money, but this was difficult to ascertain. There were 'very concerning' reports about the boy, the court was told. He had been seen in the company of four older men by staff at his care placement and there were concerns one may be his father, a man who had hit his children 'a lot' around the head. A Tusla staff member said the father had been 'leaving voicemails on the Tusla office phone', asking social workers to 'call back urgently'. When they called back, his phone was off. He was 'trying to control the narrative and find out information about his children', the judge heard. The court, which was hearing applications from Tusla to extend the children's interim care orders, was told there was a continued lack of an aftercare plan for the oldest child, who turns 18 later this month. 'We have no care plan ... we have no provision for where she is going to live,' Mr Stafford said. The judge was told Tusla and the HSE had identified an onward placement for her about which there had been 'good reviews', but both parties wanted to do 'due diligence' and await further checks, given the girl has 'such a high level of needs'. Both the HSE and Tusla appreciated 'the clock is ticking' and that the girl 'needs an answer', the judge was told.
