Protesters interrupted a service at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh on Sunday to "highlight the silence from the Catholic church on genocide in Palestine".

In a livestream of the service shared on the parish social media, about 30 protesters can be seen entering the cathedral holding placards.

Speaking in a video posted online, one protester Deirdre Murphy Linder, said they are "a group of cross-community Christians" who held a "silent a dignified procession at the end of communion".

Following the protest, the priest taking the service accused the demonstrators of using the Mass for a photo opportunity.

Addressing his congregants immediately after the protest, Father Barry Mathews said the church is "not a political organisation, rather we are an organisation who trusts in God's plan and trusts God is present".

Father Mathews noted the donations that members of the church have made "for the care of children in Gaza".

"We here as a parish community have given £5,000 pounds from your donation."

"We don't use Mass as an opportunity for a quick snapshot," he said.

"Let us not use the church for a place of political statement."

Father Mathews received a round of applause from his congregants following his statement.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Armagh said: “Archbishop Eamon Martin, and other Irish bishops, have spoken out on the issue of the horrific devastation and loss of life in Gaza, most recently in the Bishops’ Conference’s pre-election statement of two weeks ago."

"Archbishop Martin dedicated his 2024 New Year message to this issue and has since given various media interviews on the topic and will continue to do so," the statement added.

A place of people walked down the nave of a church with pews on either side. Some of the people are holding placards with Palestinian flags. In the background a large stained glass window.

Ms Murphy Linder said the protesters want "to know why the church, the Christian churches are silent".

"They were very vocal when Russian invaded Ukraine, and rightly so, their condemnation was extremely strong," she added.

She said that Christian church leaders were "betraying the faith of billions" by not speaking out more forcefully on the situation in Gaza.

"We are waiting 14 months, looking at horrific images and a genocide."

Israel has vehemently denied that its forces are committing genocide in Gaza.

In November, a UN General Assembly special committee released a new report that says Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide, with mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians there”.

Human Rights Watch has also accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

About 1.9 million people - 90% of Gaza’s population - have fled their homes over the past year, and 79% of the territory is under Israeli-issued evacuation orders, according to the UN.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group's unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Botragelad:

Source;
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6lxnvy27vo.amp

malali:
STOP THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA-STOP KILLING BABIES AND WOMEN.

Bringing attention of the world to the ongoing Genocide in Gaza.

Please ignore the baby murders and genocide sympathizers who commented above me.
I still do not know how any decent human regardless of religion or tribe would keep advocating for ongoing murdering of children and women.

These people are always happy to see babies and women murdered

Akwamkpuruamu:


Can these muslim activists interrupt a mosque proceeding? So much for the religion of peace.

They can't take an inch of what they do to people

Botragelad:
These folks always spreading their rubbish and being nuisances. If you think there's a genocide going on in Gaza, you need to get your head sorted. Taking out terrorists and their mates isn't genocide, it's just getting the job done. If you wanna have a cry about it, be my guest. We're not fussed.

Everyone should be grateful to Israel for keeping civilian casualties to a minimum. If it were some other country with no rules, they'd have flattened the whole of Palestine/ Palestinians Arab occupiers by now and starved them into submission. But Israel's playing by the book.

So, here's the thing, I'm going to repeat it: all the protests and noise in the world won't stop Israel from defending itself. If civilians wanna be martyrs for terrorists, then Israel will just get on with it. The bombing's gonna keep going, and Palestine's just a fake concept that needs to be shut down.

Am yisreal chai 🇮🇱!

malali:
STOP THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA-STOP KILLING BABIES AND WOMEN.

Bringing attention of the world to the ongoing Genocide in Gaza.

Please ignore the baby murders and genocide sympathizers who commenting.
I still do not know how any decent human regardless of religion or tribe would keep advocating for ongoing murdering of children and women.

These people are always happy to see babies and women murdered.

NIGERIANS DO NOT SUPPORT THE ONGOING GENOCIDE IN GAZA.

malali:
STOP THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA-STOP KILLING BABIES AND WOMEN.

Bringing attention of the world to the ongoing Genocide in Gaza.

Please ignore the baby murders and genocide sympathizers who commenting.
I still do not know how any decent human regardless of religion or tribe would keep advocating for ongoing murdering of children and women.

These people are always happy to see babies and women murdered.

NIGERIANS DO NOT SUPPORT THE ONGOING GENOCIDE IN GAZA.

malali:


Illiteracy is a disease....lol
the beef is between arabs and jews
You are here turning it into muslim and christians by force
The Jews killed jesus....go and read your bible.
The muslims didnt kill Jesus.

Botragelad:

Source;
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6lxnvy27vo.amp

malali:
STOP THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA-STOP KILLING BABIES AND WOMEN.

Bringing attention of the world to the ongoing Genocide in Gaza.

Please ignore the baby murders and genocide sympathizers who are commenting ignorantly.
I still do not know how any decent human regardless of religion or tribe would keep advocating for ongoing murdering of children and women.

These people are always happy to see babies and women murdered.

NIGERIANS DO NOT SUPPORT THE ONGOING GENOCIDE IN GAZA.

This war is between Arabs and Jews
But miscreants like botragelad is forcefully trying to change it to Muslims versus Christians
Just to incite Nigerians and cause unrest
There is no Arab or Jew in Nigeria

The nlfpmod should censor this guys narrative as a matter of national security, every time he posts a divisive article and makes a divisive comment under it. He is given front page. As if he pays the mods.
The Jews killed Jesus, not Muslims and they are the ones committing genocide in Gaza.

Cc National Security Adviser: Nuhu Ribadu.

Botragelad:

Source;
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6lxnvy27vo.amp