DUBLIN (RNS/ENI) Cardinal Cahal Daly, who led the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland during the sectarian violence that wracked the island, died on Thursday (Dec. 31) at age 92.
“Our country has lost one of its brightest lights and most able sons, who played a vital role in promoting reconciliation, peace and justice at a critical moment in our history,” Archbishop Sean Brady of Armagh, Daly’s successor as head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, said in a Jan. 1 statement.
From 1990 until his retirement in 1996 at age 79, Daly was archbishop of Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. He held the title of primate of All Ireland and was leader of the Catholics both in the Republic of Ireland, and in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair, who in 1998 helped broker an end to the three-decade long conflict, praised the Irish cleric, saying, “Cardinal Daly made a significant contribution to delivering peace as he worked to break down barriers between communities.”
Daly had previously been bishop of Down and Connor, the diocese that includes Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. Throughout the 1980s, and on his subsequent appointment to Armagh, he was seen as a persistent critic of those seeking to use violent means for political objectives.
“It is no secret during the conflict that republicans and Cardinal Daly never enjoyed a close relationship,” said Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, and a leader of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, which waged a violent struggle for a united Ireland.
The (Anglican) Church of Ireland archbishop of Armagh, Alan Harper, said, “During the most challenging of times the cardinal gave wise and courageous leadership … He was a fearless and forthright champion of peace and justice, always speaking out unambiguously on community issues during the darkest days of the Troubles.”
Daly’s funeral Mass is scheduled for Tuesday (Jan. 5) and he will be buried on the grounds of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh.
