- Home
- Collections
- Atlas Resources for Schools
- Cork Fatality Register
- Mapping the Irish Revolution
- Mapping IRA Companies, July 1921-July 1922
- Mapping the Burning of Cork, 11-12 December 1920
- Martial Law, December 1920
- The IRA at War
- The Railway Workers’ Munitions Strike of 1920
- The Victory of Sinn Féin: The 1920 Local Elections
- The War of Words: Propaganda and Moral Force
- The IRA Offensive against the RIC, 1920
- De Valera’s American Tour, 1919-1920
- The British Reprisal Strategy and its Impact
- Cumann na mBan and the War of Independence
- The War Escalates, November 1920
- The War of Independence in Cork and Kerry
- The Story of 1916
- A 1916 Diary
- January 9-15 1916
- January 10-16, 1916
- January 17-23, 1916
- January 24-30, 1916
- February 1-6 1916
- February 7-14, 1916
- February 15-21, 1916
- February 22-27, 1916
- February 28-March 3, 1916
- March 6-13,1916
- March 14-20, 1916
- March 21-27 1916
- April 3-9, 1916
- April 10-16, 1916
- April 17-21,1916
- May 22-28 1916
- May 29-June 4 1916
- June 12-18 1916
- June 19-25 1916
- June 26-July 2 1916
- July 3-9 1916
- July 11-16 1916
- July 17-22 1916
- July 24-30 1916
- July 31- August 7,1916
- August 7-13 1916
- August 15-21 1916
- August 22-29 1916
- August 29-September 5 1916
- September 5-11, 1916
- September 12-18, 1916
- September 19-25, 1916
- September 26-October 2, 1916
- October 3-9, 1916
- October 10-16, 1916
- October 17-23, 1916
- October 24-31, 1916
- November 1-16, 1916
- November 7-13, 1916
- November 14-20, 1916
- November 21-27-1916
- November 28-December 4, 1916
- December 5-11, 1916
- December 12-19, 1916
- December 19-25, 1916
- December 26-January 3, 1916
- Cork's Historic Newspapers
- Feature Articles
- News and Events
- UCC's Civil War Centenary Programme
- Irish Civil War National Conference 15-18 June 2022
- Irish Civil War Fatalities Project
- Research Findings
- Explore the Fatalities Map
- Civil War Fatalities in Dublin
- Civil War Fatalities in Limerick
- Civil War Fatalities in Kerry
- Civil War Fatalities in Clare
- Civil War Fatalities in Cork
- Civil War Fatalities in the Northern Ireland
- Civil War Fatalities in Sligo
- Civil War Fatalities in Donegal
- Civil War Fatalities in Wexford
- Civil War Fatalities in Mayo
- Civil War Fatalities in Tipperary
- Military Archives National Army Fatalities Roll, 1922 – 1923
- Fatalities Index
- About the Project (home)
- The Irish Revolution (Main site)
Feature Articles
Dramatic intervention by bishops in Irish Civil War politics

The Irish hierarchy’s pastoral letter of 1922 forbidding republicans from receiving the sacraments showed a partisanship not appreciated by Rome, writes Gabriel Doherty
Partition
Once the Dáil vote in favour of the Treaty took place in January, the overwhelming majority of the hierarchy came out publicly, and enthusiastically, in support of the agreement, though Byrne, the new Archbishop of Dublin, did help to convene a conference of pro- and anti-Treaty elements in April with a view to effecting a reconciliation between them. Likewise, several bishops in the newly created jurisdiction of Northern Ireland sought a rapprochement between the factions in the months prior to the outbreak of the Civil War.
'Military despotism'
'Guilty of the gravest sins'
Pastoral letter
Any original text that was subsequently amended/deleted is in square brackets.
‘A section of the community, refusing to acknowledge the Government set up by the nation have chosen to attack their own country as if she were a foreign Power They carry on what they call a war, but which, in the absence of any legitimate authority to justify it, is morally only a system of murder and assassination of National forces — for it must not be forgotten that killing in an unjust war is as much murder before God as if there were no war.
The claim is now made that a minority are entitled, when they think it right, to take arms and destroy the National Government. Last April, foreseeing the danger, we raised Our voices in the most solemn manner against this disruptive and immoral principle. … We now again authoritatively renew that teaching and warn our Catholic people that they are conscientiously bound to abide by it, subject of course to an appeal to the Holy See.
No one is justified in rebelling against the legitimate Government, whatever it is, set up by the nation and acting within its rights. No Republican [one] can evade this teaching [in our present case] by asserting that the legitimate authority in Ireland [just now] is not the present Dáil or Provisional Government. [That Government has been elected by the Nation, and is supported by the vast majority of public opinion.] There is no other [Government], and cannot be, outside the body of the people. A Republic without popular recognition behind it is a contradiction in terms.
Such being [the] Divine Law, the guerrilla warfare now being carried on by the Irregulars is without moral sanction, and therefore the killing of National soldiers in the course of its murder before God. … All those who in contravention of this teaching participate in such crimes, are guilty of grievous [the gravest] sins, and may not be absolved in Confession, nor admitted to Holy Communion, if they persist [purpose to persevere] in such evil courses.
It is said that there are [some] priests who approve of this Irregular insurrection. If there be any such, they are false to their sacred office and are guilty of grievous [the gravest] scandal, and will not be allowed to retain the faculties they hold from us. Let it not be said that this our teaching is due to political bias and a desire to help one party. If it [that] were true, we were unworthy of our sacred office. With all earnestness we appeal to the leaders in [of] this saddest revolt Let them not think we are insensible to their feelings — we think of them with compassion We read with horror of the many [unauthorised] murders in the Press.
Gabriel Doherty is a lecturer in Irish history at UCC.
– This article was first published in the special Irish Examiner on 9 January 2023 –