THE MORAL implications of the banking crisis at home and abroad were discussed by churchmen at the traditional religious services to open the new law term in Dublin yesterday.
At the annual Mass at St Michan's Roman Catholic Church, Halston Street, Dublin, Bishop Séamus Freeman of Ossory recalled that it was said after the Wall Street crash of 1929 it should never happen again. But it has happened and will happen again, Bishop Freeman added.
He was addressing a congregation which included the Chief Justice, Mr Justice John L Murray; the Attorney General Paul Gallagher SC; the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland Sir Brian Kerr; and other representatives of the judiciary of Scotland, England, Wales and Norway. Several Supreme and High Court judges also attended.
There was a need to heed the words of St Paul that one cannot belong to Christ without crucifying all self-indulgent passions and desire, the bishop said.
It was also important to open "mature dialogue" about the fundamental values of our society such as love, peace, justice, truth and freedom and for this dialogue to be introduced at an early age, through family and school.
Dialogue, the "new word for love", was needed to understand and to choose to affirm good while also explaining why "what is wrong is wrong."
At the Church of Ireland service the speaker was Fr Godfrey O'Donnell, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Ireland,
He called for tighter and "more transparent" regulation of the Irish banking sector and said the State bailout of the banks was put in place with "seemingly little regard" for clear terms and conditions on the banks.
Addressing a congregation at St Michan's Church of Ireland, Church Street, Dublin, which included senior judges, a delegation of Norwegian judges, the secretary general of the Department of Justice and senior Defence Forces and Garda personnel, Fr O'Donnell said lawyers and others "need to do better" for the poor and voiceless in society.
There is a perception that justice "tends to serve the rich and well-off", he said. We are living in "changing times with an unknown future" and have a duty to struggle to see justice done and human rights achieved, he said.
"We seem to be living through the death throes of raw capitalism (please God) with its appalling greed, recklessness, lack of accountability and complete disregard for any ethical behaviour."
Remarking that the greedy suffer less during a recession, he said there is "an obvious need" to prioritise spending on health and education, for tighter regulation of the banks and for fair and just immigration procedures.
"If the capitalist system survives, it will need to show a strong appreciation . . . of equality, responsibility, ethics, and more open accessibility and accountability to redress its previous greed [and] lack of trust."
Fr O'Donnell asked how long it would be before Ireland relented on its refusal of access to the labour market for Romanians and Bulgarians. This was an issue for many members of his flock, he said.
