Dublin Airport to Maintain Tradition: Priests to Bless Christmas Day Flights
Dublin: Dublin Airport has opted to uphold the longstanding tradition of Catholic priests blessing planes on Christmas Day, citing security concerns as the rationale behind this decision.
Despite facing criticism aligned with the government’s policy of maintaining separation between the Catholic Church and state affairs, Dublin Airport authorities have signalled their readiness to reconsider the controversial move.
While acknowledging the cancellation of regular prayer programmes as part of new runway security protocols, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has affirmed that the traditional Christmas blessing will persist. Fr. Des Doyle, chaplain of the Catholic Church at Dublin Airport, is slated to conduct the blessing, with other ecumenical groups expressing interest in offering religious or non-religious blessings as well.
CEO Kenny Jacobs emphasised DAA’s commitment to respecting all faiths, highlighting the existence of a multi-faith prayer room at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 as a testament to this inclusive approach. Jacobs expressed satisfaction in continuing this 76-year-old tradition, which originated in 1947 with the blessing of an Aer Lingus plane before being moved to Christmas Day in 1967.
However, the decision to uphold the Christmas tradition comes amid claims by secular campaigner John Hamill, who contested the practice, prompting deliberations within Dublin Airport authorities.
Despite the absence of flights on Christmas Day, the Catholic priest will still visit the airport to bless all planes—a custom initially slated for discontinuation. Nevertheless, with the reversal of the policy, Dublin Airport will retain the distinction of being the only airport globally not operational on Christmas Day.
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