‘I’m no hypocrite,’ says Halligan as he accuses bishop of ‘petty tactics’
JUNIOR Minister John Halligan has claimed he was banned from being his godson’s confirmation sponsor, not because he is an atheist, but because he held a pro-choice rally.
The Waterford TD, who has publicly acknowledged he is an atheist, claimed he was “singled out” by Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan for holding the rally in Waterford on Saturday urging a Yes vote in the upcoming referendum on the Eighth Amendment. He accused the Church of “resorting to petty, pitiful tactics”.
“I was contacted by the parents of my godson on Thursday to tell me that they had been approached by a member of clergy and told that I could not stand as sponsor at the ceremony on Sunday and that this was the view of the bishop,” he said in a press release yesterday.
“When the parents contacted the bishop, they were told this is because I am an atheist and because of my views on abortion.”
Mr Halligan said that while he “accepts” that he doesn’t meet the criteria of the Catholic Church concerning its confirmation sponsors – who must be Catholic – he said it was “nonetheless a petty move” by the bishop to “single him out” because of his support for a Yes vote in the referendum.
“I am not being a hypocrite here.
“I fully accept that, as an atheist, I do not meet the criteria set down by the Catholic Church that a confirmation sponsor must be a practising Catholic,” he said.
“I sincerely doubt that I am the only person asked to sponsor a confirmation child who is not a practising Catholic.”
A spokesman for Bishop Cullinan declined to comment on Mr Halligan’s claims of being singled out.
However, in a statement, the bishop said: “In March of this year I circulated guidelines to all parishes in the diocese advising on the role of confirmation sponsor. The following was communicated to all parishes: ‘Sponsors should give the (confirmation) candidate a good example of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and should take their own spiritual life seriously.
“This will be shown by their love of God, their love for the word of God...A sponsor must be a confirmed and practising Catholic.’ ”