Athlone friar criticises Government for 'putting an economic price on everything'
by Adrian Cusack Updated: Wednesday, 9th November, 2011 5:30pm
An Athlone friar has criticised the Government for "putting an economic price on everything," while ignoring higher values.
The comments were made by Fr Brian Allen in his sermon at Mass in St Anthony's Friary last Sunday morning.
Fr Allen criticised the recent closure of the Irish embassy to the Vatican, and said the unemployed are regarded as a liability by the Government because they are "economic units which aren't producing anything."
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent on Monday, Fr Allen said his sermon was motivated by the increasing emphasis placed on finance across many sectors of society.
"An economic value has been put on everything," said Fr Allen. "Eamon Gilmore said the reason the Irish Embassy to the Vatican was closed was that it had no economic value. The point I tried to make is that there are other values: higher, spiritual values.
"If you followed Mr Gilmore's argument to its logical conclusion you would have to start shutting down venues for the arts such as theatres, art galleries, museums and opera houses, because they are not of economic value.
"It's a very short-sighted view. When we die and go to the pearly gates we won't be asked for our bank statements," he said. "I don't deny that money is important, but at the moment everybody seems to have a price on their head. "The unemployed are seen as a liability because they are economic units which aren't producing anything but are receiving social benefits. I believe it would suit the Government if another half a million (unemployed) people decided to emigrate."
He commented that we might have to wait for the next set of Wikileaks revelations to find out whether financial concern was the real reason behind the closure of the Irish Embassy to the Vatican, as "politicians have tended to give one reason for something in public and another one behind closed doors."
Taoiseach Enda Kenny's speech in the Dáil last July, in which he sharply criticised the Vatican's reaction to allegations of clerical child sex abuse, was described as "intemperate" by Fr Allen.
"It wasn't a very parliamentary or temperate speech. It perhaps tapped into an anger felt by the public, and there is a general anger over Cloyne and abuse in the Church which, of course, nobody could justify. I just felt (the speech) was directed at the wrong target."
When asked what target it should have been directed at, he replied: "It should have been more local than the Vatican. The Pope doesn't know what's happening in Athlone or other places in Ireland on a daily basis.
"I am sure the Pope would not try to justify the sin of any wrong that was committed by the clergy. At least I would like to think that, as I have respect for the man. Mr Kenny clearly doesn't."
He concluded by saying he "didn't set out to make any grand statement" with his sermon last weekend. "It was a general response to everything being reduced to shillings and pence or, rather, Euros and cents."
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