Anger at killing 'understandable'

Angry reaction in Longford to the killing of 38-year-old Sharon Coughlan, a mother of two young children, has been described as "understandable" by the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Dr Colm O'Reilly.

"We are shocked by the violent death of a young mother . . . Any violent death is one too many. It is very understandable that the general population here is angry as well as saddened," Bishop O'Reilly said.

"It is important that now as never before all of us are also strongly committed to the protection of life, to the support of those who work for peace in the community and to giving them our full co-operation. We cannot become apathetic. Nothing can excuse indifference to the sacredness of human life," he said.

Dr O'Reilly was speaking during the first Latin rite Mass to be celebrated publicly by an Irish bishop since Pope Benedict lifted restrictions on the Latin rite Mass from September 14th.

He did so at St May's Church, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford,yesterday.

The Mass also commemorated the bicentenary of the death of Abbé (Henry Essex) Edgeworth who was born in Edgeworthstown and baptised at St John's Church of Ireland there where his father, Robert, was rector. He was also honoured yesterday at a service after the Mass.

In 1793, as a Catholic priest, Edgeworth stood with France's King Louis XVI as he died by the guillotine in Paris.