Minister and priest say pray for economy

A CO WEXFORD priest has joined a Cabinet minister in calling for prayers for a successful outcome to the economic crisis.

Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív said prayers were needed because “not everything is in the control of the Government”.

He told Highland Radio in Donegal that prayer is “very powerful”.

“I believe over the next three weeks there are three things we have to do. There is a budget, the four-year plan and to bring stability to our own fiscal situation and try and pray that this is the end of it.”

In an interview with presenter Shaun Doherty, Mr Ó Cuív continued: “Yes, prayer is very powerful because in the end of the day we have to keep at it until we get to stable waters.

“We had thought the previous measures would be sufficient, but because of international . . .”

Mr Doherty interrupted: “The Minister is saying that we should be praying that things get better?”

Mr Ó Cuív responded: “I did say pray. I think people understand the colloquialism because in the end of the day, not everything is in control of the Government.”

Although he had not heard of the Minister’s exhortation, Fr John Carroll, a curate in Barntown church in Co Wexford, expressed a similar sentiment yesterday.

At 11am Mass, he read out a prayer he had composed which begins: “God our Father continue to make your presence felt among us at this moment in history.”

The prayer, which has been posted on the parish’s Facebook page, went on to ask that God would “steady our nerve in these days and point out to us the shortcomings of panic and fear alone”.

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