This is a welcome statement. It would be great if Reverend Philip & the Church could facilitate a mutually satisfactory resolution to this matter expeditiously, not least because of the effect on the family, concerns raised internationally, & its impact on the Church. [1/13]
Concerns have been raised across the media about the ruling of the Consistory Court to refuse a simple Irish inscription on the gravestone of Margaret Keane after the story broke publicly on 2 June. [2/13]
bit.ly/3cKWkvv
The decision has been covered in The Irish Times (549.2K followers on Twitter). [3/13]
The decision of the Consistory Court and the position of the Church of England continues to be covered on BBC News (initially on BBC Northern Ireland, then escalated to BBC Europe). [4/13]
bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…
Similarly, The Guardian has covered this controversial matter. [5/13]
theguardian.com/world/2020/jun…
An editorial in The Irish Post (49.5K followers on Twitter) referred to the ‘anti-Irish’ reasoning of Judge Eyre QC in his decision regarding Margaret Keane’s gravestone. [6/13]
irishpost.com/comment/anti-i…
The decision has raised concerns on social media across the world and prompted the Irish Embassy in London to say that it was “very disappointed by the decision reached by the Court.” [7/13]
irishpost.com/news/irish-emb…
Troubled by the decision, I spent several hours’ fieldwork last weekend in Christian graveyards in England. In just three, I came across inscriptions in Latin, Maltese, German, French, and, this, in Irish: “Go mbeannaí Dia duit” (God bless you). [8/13]
Like the proposed inscription on Margaret's grave ‘In ár gcroíthe go deo” (In our hearts forever), it is simple, heartfelt. I couldn’t understand all the Latin expressions (common in many graveyards), so I used Google Translate, as I did for the Maltese, German & French. [9/13]
They translated as follows:
Maltese: “Ghal dejjem f’ qallbna” (Forever in our hearts);
German: ‘in unseren herzen lebst du weiter’ (in our hearts you live on);
French: “Le temp passe, les souvenirs restent” (Time goes by, memories remain). [10/13]
I shed a tear at seeing the simple integrity of those brief inscriptions, all expressing loving messages, reflecting the diversity of those who come to England, inviting us to know a little of their lives, their losses, yet knowing that one judge wouldn’t allow even this. [11/13]
A grieving family needs to bring closure to this matter. Many around the world share concerns at the decision. The media watches. The reputation of the Church of England & its ability to minister has been damaged. It’s time to resolve this matter expeditiously. [12/13]
#MessagetoMargaret
@My_Mums_Voice @ckeano77 @BezMartinYthWrk @caoilfhionnanna @MaryRachel_McC @CBrogan_MedLaw @IrishPost @IrishTimes @thejournal_ie @IrishEcho @irishinbritain
[13/13]
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