THE Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady, yesterday received the pallium, a symbol of the link between the churches of Rome and Ireland, from Pope John Paul in a ceremony in the Basilica of St Peter's.
Archbishop Brady was one of 29 archbishops, including Dr Charles Joseph Chaput of Denver, Dr Eugene George of Chicago, Dr Emile Marcus of Toulouse and Dr George Pelt of Melbourne, who received the pallium yesterday. As the Pope presented it to Archbishop Brady, he paused briefly to say:
"God Bless Ireland".
Among those in attendance at the Vatican ceremony yesterday was the former Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Cahal Daly, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Armagh, Monsignor Liam MacEntagart and the diocesan secretary. Father Eugene Sweeney. Also in attendance were Archbishop Brady's brother Con and sister Kitty, along with their families.
After the ceremony, Dr Brady said: "This is not a personal honour but an honour for the Archdiocese and the Irish Church, a symbol of the link between Ireland and Rome."
Dating back to the eighth century and adorned with six small black crosses, the pallium is a narrow circular band made of white wool with two pendants front and back.
Worn around the neck and shoulders both by the Pope and by archbishops, the pallium is awarded to metropolitans (an archbishop who is head of an ecclesiastical province or territory) on petition to the Pope within three months of consecration.
In the case of Ireland, the four metropolitans, namely the Arch bishops of Armagh, Dublin, Cashel and Tuam, are entitled to wear the pallium.
The wool for the pallium is grown on the backs of Roman lambs blessed specially for that purpose on January 1st St Agnes's Day.
Archbishop Brady, who took the see of Armagh last year, is widely expected to be named a cardinal at the next Consistory of cardinals.
Cardinal Daly will be 80 next October.
. Mother Teresa of Calcutta attended yesterday's ceremony in the Vatican. At the end of the Mass, the 86 year old Nobel Peace Prize winner was brought to the Pope in a wheelchair and rose to her feet to embrace him and kiss his band.
Mother Teresa has just arrived in Rome from New York and is expected to return home to India shortly.
She retired in March as head of her order, the Missionaries of Charity, after a battle against heart disease.
The Pope, who has suffered from a series of health problems in recent years, appeared well during the 2 1/2 hour Mass although he had to wipe sweat from his forehead in the stifling Rome heat.