Members of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference gathered this week for their Spring 2026 General Meeting in Columba Centre of Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. The President of the Conference is Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, and the Vice-President is Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin. During their meeting, bishops’ concelebrated Mass in Saint Mary’s Oratory, with seminarians, lay and clergy staff in attendance. Chief celebrant Archbishop Martin prayed for Christ’s peace to permeate the thoughts and actions of those causing violence and war at this time. Homilist, Bishop Tom Deenihan of Meath, said, “Lent is always about the internal, not the external, and the Gospel of the Mass was simply asking ‘if we could forgive’. Our faith had to have a charitable dimension.”
Bishops prayed for the happy repose of the souls of Bishop Willie Walsh, whose first anniversary occurred on 21 February, and for Pope Francis, whose first anniversary will fall on 21 April. The main issues discussed were:
- Conflict in the Middle East
- Call for nationwide prayers for world peace on Saint Patrick’s Day
- Synodal Pathway
- Pope Leo XIV’s message for Lent 2026
- Turning The Tide? Report on recent religious trends on the island of Ireland
- Trócaire (i) annual lecture (ii) Lenten campaign supporting women in Rwanda
- Protecting unborn human life
- Safeguarding
- Priesthood and supporting vocations
- Marriage and Family
- Appointments
See below details of the issues discussed during the Spring General Meeting:
- Conflict in the Middle East
With a particular focus on the loss of human life, bishops prayed, and called for, an end to the unjust war that has developed in the Middle East following the attacks on Iran and Lebanon by the United States and Israel since last Saturday, 28 February. See details of the bishops’ published statement: War is not the answer. No political leader has the authority to unleash war at will.
- Call for nationwide prayers for world peace on Saint Patrick’s Day
At this time of war in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and remembering that our national patron, Saint Patrick, himself an emigrant, bishops prayed for peace and the safety of all migrants in the world today.
Bishops said, “As we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day this year on Tuesday 17 March, we remember our national patron as a pioneer for peace and reconcilation. We encourage everyone to unite in prayer for world peace. Given the importance of our national feast day, we also ask of parishes to reach out to people from around the world who have come to live within our communities, and to extend greetings of prayerful support and solidarity at this time.”
On Saint Patrick’s Day, RTÉ television and radio will broadcast the celebration of Mass live, at 11.00am, from Saint Patrick Cathedral, Armagh. The chief celebrant will be Archbishop Martin.
- Synodal Pathway
The Irish Synodal Pathway and the Universal Synod
Bishops devoted significant time at their Spring General Meeting to prayerful reflection on the next steps of the Irish Synodal Pathway and the Universal Synod. Recognising that 2026 marks a decisive year in the implementation phase at the level of the universal Church, they reflected on their responsibility to embed synodality more deeply in the life, structures and culture of dioceses and parishes throughout Ireland. Bishops reaffirmed their commitment to fostering a Church rooted in communion, participation and mission, and to preparing for the evaluation stages foreseen for 2027–2028.
National Synodal Assembly on Saturday, 17 October 2026
Preparations for the National Synodal Assembly are underway, and it will take place on Saturday, 17 October 2026, at the City North Hotel, Co Meath. Bishops recognised the Assembly as a key moment in the Irish Synodal Pathway, when practical recommendations for implementation will be considered. They emphasised the importance of broad and representative participation, including members of diocesan synodal teams, movements and associations, and representatives from consultative bodies such as Diocesan Pastoral Councils and Councils of Priests. The Assembly will embody shared deliberation rooted in the lived experience and wisdom of the People of God. Bishops invited all to pray for the preparations and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit on those who will gather in October.
Baptised and Sent in Lent
The Baptised and Sent in Lent programme has been postively received by dioceses, parishes and by participants on online platforms. Bishops noted strong engagement with the resources and the desire among clergy and lay faithful to deepen understanding of baptismal responsibility and synodality. Continued participation throughout Lent was encouraged, emphasising that baptismal co-responsibility lies at the heart of the synodal journey, as all the baptised are called and sent as missionary disciples.
Working Groups on the Seven Priorities
Bishops welcomed the formation of Working Groups corresponding to the seven national priorities identified through the synodal process. The seven priorities are: Belonging; Co-responsibility and Lay Ministry, Family; Formation and Catechesis; Healing; Women, and, Youth. Each group includes a bishop, a relevant staff member of the Episcopal Conference, a member of the National Synodal Team, and others with expertise from diocesan, parish and institutional contexts. Their task is to research best practice and develop practical, mission-focused recommendations for consideration by the National Synodal Team and the Bishops’ Conference ahead of the National Synodal Assembly in October 2026.
- Pope Leo XIV’s message for Lent 2026
The period of Lent prepares us for Easter Sunday, which falls on 5 April this year. For Christians, Lent commemorates Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the desert before He began His public ministry and, during this holy season, we are called to renew our Christian life – through prayer, sacrifice and charity – in preparation for Easter.
Bishops reflected on the Lenten message of Pope Leo, in which the Holy Father invites us to deepen our journey of conversion by listening attentively to God’s word and embracing fasting as a path to interior freedom. Rooted in hope and sustained by charity, we are reminded that authentic renewal strengthens both our personal faith and our shared life as Church. This sacred season calls us to trust more fully in God’s mercy, to grow in reconciliation, and to walk together in joyful service. Bishops encourage all to read Pope Leo’s Lenten message: Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion.
Bishops also noted that, at the same time as the Christian season of Lent, Muslims are marking their holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting, prayer and reflection. In greeting Muslims in Ireland at this time, bishops offered prayers for them.
- Turning The Tide? Report on recent religious trends on the island of Ireland
Bishops discussed a new report Turning the Tide? Recent religious trends on the island of Ireland, that had been commissioned by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The authors, Stephen Bullivant, Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion at Saint Mary’s University, UK, and, pharmacist Emily Nelson, who is completing a PhD in Sociology at Queens University Belfast, have undertaken this analysis of contemporary research into faith practice across the island of Ireland so as to provide an evidence-based account of recent religious trends. See brief video of Archbishop Martin introducing the survey.
The report evaluates data from European Social Study surveys, the Iona Institute’s two recent surveys (conducted by Amárach Research), and a variety of academic studies, to examine belief, practice, and identity, and focusing on Catholicism and other Christian denominations, to highlight regional, generational and gender trends. It is structured around three main themes that emerged as particularly salient:
– The overall religious profile of the island of Ireland, including areas of convergence and divergence between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland;
– Patterns in belief, practice, and religious identification between generations, with particular attention to differences within young adult cohorts; and,
– Gendered dimensions of religiosity, religious transmission, and attitudes toward Church teaching and institutions.
Key findings:
- Ireland remains among the more religious countries in Europe, on measures of religious affiliation (fig. 1.1), religious service attendance (fig. 1.2), and frequency of prayer (fig. 1.3). Among western European countries, it is one of very few outliers with a relatively high level of overall religiosity.
- Among Catholics specifically, Ireland also ranks towards the higher end of (especially western) European countries on measures of weekly Mass attendance (fig. 1.4) and daily prayer (fig. 1.5).
- While key measures of Irish religiosity have declined significantly since the European Social Survey began in 2002/03, the most recent round – 2023/24 – shows a strong “uptick” in religious affiliation (figs 1.6) and religious practice (fig. 1.8).
- This effect is most strongly evident among those aged 16-29 years, across both Catholics and Protestants (figs 1.7, 1.8).
- Northern Ireland is both the most religious region of the United Kingdom (by a long way), and the most religious part of the island of Ireland, in terms of both affiliation (fig. 1.9) and religious practice (fig. 1.10).
- Ireland presents a notable divergence from global patterns: although women in the republic are equally likely to be religious, they continue to play an influential role in transmitting faith, even as they express higher levels of moral dissent and institutional dissatisfaction.
- Secularisation is not merely linear, but polarisation is occurring particularly within the Republic of Ireland.
- Trócaire (i) annual lecture (ii) Lenten campaign supporting women in Rwanda
Annual lecture on ‘Care for Creation amidst the Cries of War’ by Dr Hugo Slim
During the Bishops’ Spring General Meeting, Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, hosted the annual Trócaire lecture, ‘Care for Creation Amidst the Cries of War – Working for Peace in the Earth Community’, delivered by keynote speaker Dr Hugo Slim, Director of the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford. The lecture explored the urgent ethical and humanitarian challenges facing the global community in times of conflict and environmental crisis.
Trócaire 2026 Lenten campaign supporting women in Rwanda
Bishops reflected on Proverbs 14:31, ‘To oppress the weak insults the Creator, kindness to the needy honours the Creator’ in the context of this year’s Trócaire Lenten appeal, which is now underway. The campaign highlights the challenges facing people in Rwanda, particularly women, due to climate change.
Bishops said, “People’s support for Trócaire here at home is helping women lead their families through crisis, have safe homes, food on the table and the resources they need to have a more secure future. Donations to the Trócaire Lenten Appeal not only support these programmes but also work across twenty of the world’s most fragile countries. Charity/alms-giving is one of the three pillars of Lent (along with prayer and fasting), and by donating to Trócaire at this time, parishioners are fulfilling this faith practice. We encourage parishioners to take a Trócaire Box home, and these are available from church porches and at schools. For millions of people in the Global South the Trócaire Box is not just a box – it is a lifeline. See also trocaire.org.”
Keynote speaker Dr Hugo Slim reminded the audience that, despite the current distraction of war, it is our prophetic duty as Church to focus on the care of humanity and of nature. In accord with the call of Christ, he reaffirmed the need to listen to the cry of the poor and of the earth in the spirit of Laudato Si’ (Pope Francis – 2015). He emphasised that based on our belief in the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ, that we are called to be ‘diplomats for nature’, and to advocate for its renewal. Dr Slim urged all people of goodwill to focus on the double love of humanity, and of nature, so as to build an earth community of life.
- Protecting unborn human life
Bishops offered their prayerful support for expectant mothers and their unborn children.
Bishops said, “The existence of laws permitting abortion does not determine it as either being good or true. What was true in advance of the introduction of legalisation for abortion in both jurisdictions on the island, remains true today. Every human life is a gift and a blessing and ought not be destroyed or disposed of at will. In Ireland, North and South, specific threats exist to the respect and dignity that is due to every human life, and these threats will always be highlighted and challenged as human life is sacred.”
Bishops commended the Pro-Life Campaign for organising its ‘March of Life’ in Dublin city on Saturday 4 May next, and encouraged people from all parts of the island to support it by attending on the day.
- Safeguarding
Bishops agreed to ask parishes to introduce a new ‘Safeguarding Sunday’ into their annual calendar, to involve prayerful liturgies for those who are suffering from abuse, an opportunity to promote local safeguarding representatives, as well as to raise awarenmess of the Church’s spiritual and counselling services for survivors, Towards Peace and Towards Healing, at a national level. Although Safeguarding Sunday already exists in some areas, it is proposed that all parishes should include it in their pastoral planning. Safeguarding Sunday will complement the ‘Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Abuse’ which, since 2017, has been marked each year on the first Friday of Lent.
Ms Julie McCullough, Director of Safeguarding of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland, informed bishops on its ongoing work, including the forthcoming round of reviews of child safeguarding practices within the Church, and that a working group composed of safeguarding personnel, Church leaders and an external reviewer, has been developing the methodology that will be used in these reviews.
- Priesthood and supporting vocations
Bishops prayed for clergy, and for those discerning a vocation to the priesthood. Feedback from men at the enquiry stage of their call to diocesan priesthood, and who have attended recent ‘Come and See’ gatherings around the country, hosted by the Bishops’ Council for Vocations, indicates that their experience offered a welcoming space for honest questions and meaningful discernment.
‘Come and See’ gatherings are designed to provide clear insight, and a sharing opportunity, into the process of becoming a diocesan priest, including the spiritual, pastoral, and academic formation involved. Partaking on this journey, with like-minded seekers, is both encouraging and affirming to those searching to deepen their understanding of the life, ministry, and mission of the diocesan priest.
Upcoming ‘Come and See’ gatherings will take place:
– Knock House Hotel, Knock, Co Mayo on Saturday 28 March at 11.00am to 4.30pm;
– Pallottine Centre Thurles, Co Tipperary, on Saturday 11 April, from 11.00am – 4.30pm; and
– Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co Kildare, on Saturday 2 May, from 11.00 am to 4.30 pm.
- Marriage and Family
Bishops welcomed the launch by the Council for Marriage and the Family, on 17 February, of a dedicated website to support the Sacrament of Marriage and family. The site contains links to various ecclesial groups around the country that work to support marriage and family, as well as it hosting news of upcoming important events. The Council for Marriage and the Family invites dioceses and parishes to include its new site as a link on their respective websites, and promote it on their social media platforms.
- Appointments
Bishops welcomed the appointment by Pope Leo XIV, on 25 January, of Bishop Ger Nash, Bishop of Ferns, as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Ossory; and his appointment on 23 February of Archbishop Francis Duffy of Tuam, as Bishop of Killala, to minister simultaneously in both dioceses united in persona episcopi (in the person of one bishop).
ENDS
