Honoured guests, fellow pilgrims, the visit of Pope John Paul II to our beloved country 
in September 1979 was a time of great joy. Those of us, who were old enough to be there, 
are never likely to forget it. 

As we remember those days we become immersed in a cascade of images;
* There was the spontaneous cheer of over one million people in the Phoenix Park as the 
Aer Lingus jet, the St Patrick, suddenly appeared overhead; 
* There was the singing of tens of thousands of young people waiting patiently for the 
Pope to arrive in Galway.  
* There was the joyful dignity of the sick and disabled who gathered for the Sacrament 
of Anointing at Knock.  
* And then, there was the quiet yearning of those who hoped for an end to violence 
in Northern Ireland, as they heard the Pope remind us at Drogheda that peace can never 
flourish in a climate of terror, intimidation and death. 

Yes, extraordinary images of three wonderful days, days, which were, by any standards, 
historic.  We remember them today with thanksgiving in this Silver Jubilee Mass. 
 
But history does not stand still. Historic moments, however memorable, do not diminish 
the challenges, which every age must face.  For each new generation is a new opportunity 
to address the challenges of the present with the wisdom of the past.  

THE HOLY GROUND OF CLONMACNOIS
We stand on holy ground.  All around us there are signs of the noble and deeply Christian 
past of the Irish people.  For one thousand years, Clonmacnois was the one of the most 
important centres of learning and holiness, not only in Ireland but also in Europe.  
Clonmacnois has produced some of the most valuable books, which Ireland possesses.  It 
is often referred to as the Westminster Abbey of Ireland.  Countless kings and queens 
were buried here.  Among these ruins there are two round towers, eight churches, three 
large sculptured crosses, a castle and over two hundred tombstones with inscriptions.  
Clonmacnois, and all it represents, has something important to say to us today. 

No wonder that the Pope, on his return to Rome, said of Clonmacnois: ‘I will never 
forget that place… the ruins of the monastery and churches speak of the life that once 
pulsated there… Whole generations of Europe owe to them the light of the Gospel.  These 
ruins are still charged with a great mission. They still constitute a challenge.’

At Knock, the Holy Father had spelled out that challenge.  In quite prophetic words he 
prayed that prosperity would never ‘cause Irish men and women to forget God or abandon 
their faith.’ He pleaded that they would ‘remain faithful in prosperity to the faith 
they would not surrender in poverty’.  He hoped that they would ‘build a just and 
peaceful and loving society where the poor are never neglected and the rights of all, 
especially the weak, are respected’. 

A NATION AT THE CROSSROADS
On that occasion Pope John Paul suggested that the Irish nation was at a crossroads.  
It would have to make a choice.  One road led to a prosperous and confident future 
rooted in its Christian past, marked by solidarity, respect for nature and a deep 
reverence for the things of the soul.  The other road led to a soul-less future, 
rooted in rampant consumerism and the glorification of the individual over the 
community.  Twenty five years later it is not quite clear which road has, in fact, 
been chosen.

On the one hand we have enjoyed unprecedented economic success and a confident 
participation in the international community.  All of this is to be welcomed.  
Today we thank God for the immense progress which has been made in the years 
since the Papal visit of 1979. And yet, there is a growing sense that we may have 
lost, or may be losing, something precious and important in the process..  We must 
look more closely at how our success has been achieved and how its fruits are being 
distributed. One commentator has spoken of the new soullessness of Irish society

IRISH PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Many people wonder what the Pope would say to us now if he were to come again.  My 
fervent hope is that God will allow him to do so sometime next year.  Well, we got 
a very clear indication on September 6th last when the Holy Father addressed Ireland’s 
new Ambassador.  Recalling that Ireland has recently achieved remarkable economic 
growth, Pope John Paul said, ‘A more prosperous society has greater possibilities 
of becoming a more just and open society.  But it is also faced with new challenges, 
including the danger of a certain spiritual impoverishment and indifference to the 
deeper moral and religious dimensions of life’.  ‘I am confident’, the Holy Father 
continued ‘that by remaining true to the values which has reshaped Ireland as a 
nation from the time of its evangelisation, your people will help to make an 
outstanding contribution to the future of Europe’.  He described the steps taken 
during the Irish Presidency of the European Union in favour of openness to other 
peoples as inspirational, and he hopes that those steps will continue to inspire 
the attitude of the community to immigrants.  He also expressed the hope that 
Ireland will continue to address this important problem with an open heart and 
persevering commitment.  All of this prompts some questions.  
* What does the gap between rich in poor, in Ireland today, say about our sensitivity 
to the deeper moral and religious dimensions of life?
* Has our more prosperous society, in fact, become a more just and open society?

I do not presume that there are easy solutions, particularly in a global economy, 
marked by instability and unpredictability.  Rather, I think that this is an occasion 
to applaud those who are working to make Ireland a more just and caring society. 
One thing is certain – the Gospel is quite clear about the need for justice as a 
concrete expression of solidarity and love – and the need to judge our real wealth 
by the relative plight of the poor.

COMPETITORS AND COMMODITIES 
Pope John Paul II once wrote, ‘The individual and society for whom nothing is 
sacred suffer moral decay in spite of appearances’.  Conscious of the bitter 
lessons of Auschwitz and the Nazi manipulation of human life, Pope John Paul 
has emerged as the outstanding defender of the dignity of every human person 
and the outstanding spokesperson for the Gospel of reverence.  

I get the impression that the sense of reverence and respect for all that is 
sacred has diminished significantly in our society in recent times.  Life has 
become cheap.  Violence is very common - whether on our roads, or in the markets, 
people have become competitors and commodities.  Recklessness and aggression are 
the order of the day.  Basic courtesy and respect for others becomes an option 
rather than an obligation.  It is despicable to learn, for example, that in some 
places, attacks on people with disabilities have become a significant problem.  
Some see this as a matter of law and order, others as one of education.  Is it 
is not rather an example of the spiritual impoverishment of which the Holy Father 
spoke?

A CENTRE IN MANY RESPECTS
Clonmacnois is located on the Shannon, of course the great waterway of this 
island.  But Clonmacnois is also located on the Eiscir Riada – that continuous 
line of gravel hills that runs from Dublin to Carinbridge, dividing Ireland into
Leath Conn and Leath Modh.

Clonmacnois, the geographical centre of Ireland, was also an outstanding spiritual 
centre for one thousand years.  Here people came apart to find silence and to renew 
and enrich their sense of the sacred.  They came to pray and to find their God and 
to respect and reverence that God, and creation.  They followed a programme – the 
programme found in the Gospels a programme that had Christ at its centre.  

The message of Clonmacnois is that a balance between prayer and prosperity, 
between society and soul, is not only possible but, in fact, highly desirable.  
In many ways, Clonmacnois represents a high watermark of Irish religious, economic 
and cultural achievement.  That it happened in the context of a strong and 
unapologetic Christian faith is an important reminder to us all, that success 
does not have to be at the expense of the soul. Solidarity and the common good 
are consistent with the progress of the individual. The practice of virtue and 
a constant awareness of the presence of God can open up, rather than curtail 
the most creative and life-giving energies of the human person and society as 
a whole.  

Pope John Paul urges us to remain true to the values which shaped Ireland as a 
nation at the time of Patrick and Ciaran.  Clonmacnois, and its glorious High 
Crosses, tell us what those values are.  The High Crosses are probably the 
greatest jewel of this magnificent monastery.  The most gracefully proportioned 
of all the Irish High Crosses is the Cross of the Scriptures.  The theme of that 
fascinating cross is the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.  Christ is 
represented no less than ten times. Faith in Jesus Christ was clearly an all-
important value in this monastery.  

ECUMENISM
Speaking to our new Ambassador, two weeks ago, Pope John Paul noted that the 
Church in Ireland is working together with other Christian communities and is 
committed to consolidating positive attitudes of understanding, respect and 
esteem of others, through ecumenical activities and education.  The welcome 
presence of people from the other Churches, led by Bishop Richard Clarke is 
a sign of that working together.  Today we commit ourselves once more to that 
working together for we know that the message of the Gospel cannot be separated 
from a call to a change of heart.  Neither can the announcing of the Gospel be 
isolated from ecumenism and the promotion of reconciliation.

PEACE
The cause of peace in Ireland has always been dear to the heart of the Pope.  
Re-echoing his sentiments we salute the work of those who are doing their best 
to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Good Friday Agreement.  
Despite the recent set-back, we continue to hope and pray that their efforts 
will be blessed by God’s grace and bear fruit for the children of tomorrow.  

“Simon, son of John, do you love me”? Jesus asked Peter by the sea of Tiberias.  
Down through the ages lovers have asked each other that same question alongside 
countless rivers and seas.  Do you love me? Will you love me forever?  Today, 
here by the waters of the River Shannon, Jesus asks the same question of each 
one of us ‘Do you love me’?  And the reason is simple – the plan found in the 
Gospel, and handed down through the ages, remains the same, it has its centre 
in Christ.  Christ is to be known, loved and imitated so that we may live the 
life of God and with Him, transform history.

We think of Mary today, Mary most holy, as Pope John Paul always does in his homilies.  
In her we come to know the transforming power of Christ.  In Mary we see the world 
renewed in love.  Like the monks who carved those glorious crosses, we turn again 
in hope and love to the contemplation of Christ.  He is the goal to whom our hearts 
aspire in our thirst for lasting joy and peace.  Christ, and Christ alone, can 
satisfy our hungry hearts.  He and He alone, can sate our thirst for He, and he 
alone, can give the water that wells up to eternal life.

AMEN