23.04.2020
Message from Archbishop Michael Jackson as Muslim Communities Prepare for Ramadan
Our thoughts today are very much with members of the Muslim communities throughout Ireland for whom the month of Ramadan begins this evening. We and they are brothers and sisters. We are aware how important gathering is to people of faith. We are conscious also of the strains emerging from social isolation for all members of our society. We know therefore that restrictions brought about by Covid–19 will have a significant impact on this period of fasting, prayer, charity and community engagement. We pray that, while mosques are closed and social gatherings are suspended, prayer and reflection may continue to inspire and deepen Muslims in their faith and witness.
Having attended the joyful gathering at the Open Iftar in St Patrick’s Park in Dublin in recent years and having been invited to hospitality involving seminars and Open Iftars in a number of Dublin mosques and other venues, I understand the importance of community gatherings. My prayer is for those who are sick and for those who have died in these times, not only from the coronavirus but also from other ailments. In the present moment one and all are called to civic solidarity as an expression of faith and humanity. May the month of Ramadan be a time of strengthening our courage and compassion to all for whom it is the holy month.