Please see below the full version of an article by Bishop Éamonn Walsh, an abridged version of which was published in
The Irish Ttimes of 5 February 2008, to coincide with the beginning of Lent 2008.

Ireland has always had a chequered history with alcohol.  Cultural circumstances have varied, but the excesses have continued.  In one newspaper alone, 
on one day last month, there were reports of how  a teenager was drinking bottles of vodka daily; a woman whose inquest heard she had poisoned herself 
on an alcohol binge and reports of a Christening where young children were left in corners of a pub while adults used Baptism as another excuse for 
heavy drinking’.

Extreme examples tend to make us complacent and think ‘at least I am not that bad’.  However, when we examine the categories of drinking and their 
descriptions they should prompt us to reflect further.  For example – hazardous drinking is drinking that is likely in the future to cause harm to 
myself psychologically and physically and to put others at risk:  harmful drinking is when I am currently doing harm to myself or others and may not 
be aware of it:  dependent drinking is where it is causing on-going problems and where I continue to drink despite the problems.  Are any of these 
categories close to where I am?  Do I reach the binge-drinking benchmark of over 14 standard drinks per week for women or 21 for men?  Am I a casual 
drinker or teetotaller?  We are all in there somewhere.

Balance, moderation, is the key to healthy living and enjoyment.  For some, total abstinence is the only safe option.  Others, such as the Pioneers 
choose total abstinence for noble spiritual motives.  Many chose the Season of Lent as a time to fast either totally or partially from alcohol.  It 
is to this group that I would like to issue a Lenten challenge to abstain or cut back significantly by one third, or more, between ‘the Ash and the 
Shamrock’.  There is strength in numbers so a group may decide to undertake the challenge as a family, or five or six at work or among friends .  The 
first step would involve an honest audit of the last month’s drinking and the second step is to decide to support one another in either abstaining 
fully or partially for a minimum period of four weeks, or for all of Lent from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday. The Pioneer Association has a special 
Lenten Temporary Pledge.

Whatever your motive is for cutting back or giving up, it could have an added important dimension, by donating the money saved to charity, for example 
Trocaire or some third world or home charity. Lent prompts people to make sacrifices that strengthen willpower and self-control resulting in freedom 
from dependency; a freedom that focuses attention away from self-indulgence towards concern for others and eventual reaching out to help them. When 
done out of a consciousness that we are called to share the world’s resources with this and future generations, it can be a reaching out and caring 
for the Universal family.

When that Universal family is seen as people, loved individually and collectively, by God and the fruits of fasting are directed to those in need out 
of love of God and each other then it becomes the spiritual unity of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  It becomes more than self-discipline coupled 
with humanitarian aid.  To quote Pope Benedict in his Lenten Message:
		‘Almsgiving is more than mere philanthropy, but rather a concrete expression of sharing, involving 
		an interior conversion to love God and our neighbour.  It is love that gives almsgiving its value’’.

To maintain the balance in society’s approach to alcohol there needs to be responsible controls placed on the sale, promotion and advertising of alcohol.  
The World Health Organisation EU Charter on alcohol 1995 in its ethical principles and goals states:
		‘All children and adolescents have the right to grow up in an environment protected from the negative 
		consequences of alcohol consumption and, to the extent possible, from the promotion of alcoholic beverage.”  

Over recent years the sale of alcohol has moved from the back corner of the supermarket almost to the checkout.  It has gained parity with the chocolates 
at the petrol stations and faces us at most check-outs. 

The recent establishment of the Government Alcohol Advisory Group is to be to be welcomed. Regrettably the advertising of alcohol and sponsorship of 
sporting events by the drinks industry, were not revisited and included in their terms of reference.

The French have been braver than most in tackling the advertising of alcohol at sports events.  At the Toulouse v Leinster match the brand name was 
conspicuous by its absence with the referee’s jersey promoting only its first letter.  It is difficult to fully implement but like the ‘smoking ban’ 
it can be done.

To bring about an attitudinal change towards balance and moderation in the use of alcohol will require the efforts and goodwill of individual age groups 
in society and our legislators.  To this end the Irish Bishops’ Conference published in the last twelve months ‘Alcohol: The Challenge of Moderation’ 
and a DVD version for young people ‘Finding the Balance: Dare to Dream’.  They are available for free downloading on www.catholiccommunications.ie 

Feedback on the Ash to Shamrock Fast may be forwarded to ibdiinfo@gmail.com

ends