Freedom of the City of Bobbio (Italy) conferred on Cardinal Cahal Daly

22 Nov 2002

Freedom of the City of Bobbio (Italy) conferred on Cardinal Cahal Daly

The Mayor of Bobbio, Dr Roberto Pasquali, and the Councillors of the city unanimously decided to award Cardinal Cahal Daly, Archbishop Emeritus of Armagh, the “Freedom of the City of Bobbio” during the celebrations of St Columbanus today (Saturday 23 November 2002) in Bobbio (Northern Italy).

The citation reads: “To Cardinal Cahal Daly – for your outstanding work for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland as Primate of All Ireland and as further encouragement to the peace process in that region”.

Today (Saturday 23 November) is the Feast of St Columbanus whose tomb is in Bobbio where he died in AD 615 having established a monastery there.  Bobbio was twinned with Navan (Co Meath) on 29 June 2002.

Accepting the award in Bobbio today, Cardinal Daly said:

“I am deeply moved by this honour and am proud of being, from today onward, an honorary citizen of the City of Bobbio.  Bobbio is famous throughout the world because of its great Patron and Founder, St Columbanus, surely one of the greatest of Irish and indeed of European saints.  I am moved particularly by the fact that you have graciously decided to confer this honour on me because of what you kindly call my work for peace in Northern Ireland.  What I did was small compared to the work of others. My companion on this visit, Monsignor Raymond Murray, together with his friend Monsignor Denis Faul, made a great contribution through their untiring work for victims, for prisoners, for justice in all areas of life, and their fearless protest against injustice from whichever side it came.  They and many others share in some way in this great honour”.

Cardinal Daly is being accompanied on his visit to Bobbio by Monsignor Raymond Murray and Dr Enzo Farinella of ANSA (Italian News Agency, Dublin).

ENDS

22 November 2002

Further information:
Dr Enzo Farinella, ANSA (Italian News Agency) 087 225 8471
Catholic Communications Office: 01 505 3000
Fr Martin Clarke: 087 220 8044
Ms Brenda Drumm: 087 233 7797