The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, yesterday called for "a mature look at immigration policy in general" in Ireland.
It followed his intervention on Wednesday when he criticised the deportation of Nigerian Leaving Cert student Olukunle Elukanlo.
On Thursday the Archbishop welcomed a decision by the Minister for Justice to reverse the order, and allow Olukunle return to Ireland on a six-month visa.
Meanwhile campaigns are continuing in Athlone and Castleblayney calling for deported Nigerian families to be allowed to return. Two Nigerian women deported from Athlone have been separated from a total of six of their children, now in hiding.
Archbishop Martin made his call yesterday in a brief comment before he and the papal nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, led Way of the Cross ceremonies in the Phoenix Park.
Organised by the Communion and Liberation group, some 400 people took part. It began at the Wellington monument and processed to the Papal Cross, stopping at "stations" en route.
Beginning, Archbishop Martin referred to the ailing Pope. "We remember today Pope John Paul, who for the first time in his pontificate is unable to guide the Holy Week celebrations in Rome.
"We ask the Lord to give him strength in this moment of physical weakness. We join with the prayer which is rising all around the Christian world for the Pope."
At the third station, marking the trial of Jesus, he asked: "How can those who today profess to be believers in a loving God humiliate people in their dignity and self-esteem? How can they resort to behaviour which is below human dignity in order to advance an agenda of personal or political exploitation and yet attempt to call their behaviour religious?"
At the fourth station, marking Pilate's presentation of Jesus before the crowd who chose Barabbas, the Archbishop noted how "all too often we, too, take refuge in what appears as the correct process, in what is politically correct, in what is the fashion of the day, in what is official, or the way in which things are done. Following Jesus means going against the stream. Give us, Lord, the courage to be men and women of deep conviction."
At the fifth and final station, marking the death of Jesus, he said that if people did not live "the essential Christ-centred nature of the church," then "it becomes just one other benevolent society alongside others".
"And if your experience with the church has been negative, then even the word 'benevolent' drops out, and the church becomes a distant, self-seeking organisation, useful on occasion, irrelevant on others."
At Dublin's Unitarian Church on St Stephen's Green a litany of all who have died in the Northern conflict was read over a three-hour period yesterday. It is the only commemoration of its kind for victims of the North's Troubles. The last name was that of Robert McCartney. Pastor Chris Hudson said they would be very happy when they could be sure they had a last name to the list.
