A CORK CITY councillor will tonight table a motion calling for an end to the practice of saying a prayer at the beginning of council meetings.

The motion, which also calls for the removal of a crucifix from the Council chamber, will be brought forward by Pádraig Rice, a Social Democrats councillor in the Cork City South Central constituency.

Speaking to The Journal ahead of tonight’s meeting, Rice said that while there is a “time and a place for religious worship, I don’t think it is at Cork City Council meetings”.

“This is a democracy, not a theocracy,” he added, and noted that voters who elected councillors “come from all faiths and none”.

He said it is “deeply inappropriate to open our meetings with a prayer” and that the practice should be stopped.

I have a motion at tonight’s Cork City Council meeting that calls for a separation of Church and State, including ending the practice of opening Council meetings with a prayer.

There is a time and place for religious worship, but I don’t think it is at Cork City Council…

— Pádraig Rice (@PadraigRice) July 8, 2024

And while Rice added that “symbols are important”, he said the crucifix in the Council chamber should be removed as “having symbols of one faith and none from all the others sends out a signal”.

“Our City should be about inclusion and not exclusion,” said Rice, “we need to create a modern, pluralist republic of equals with a clear separation of church and state.”

“With the prayer and the crucifix, it still feels like 1930s Ireland in there,” added Rice of the Council Chamber.

Rice also said that feels a “sense of duty to pursue a modernisation agenda” and that this is “just one part of that”.

The motion also calls for Cork City Council to extend an invitation to the leaders of all faiths in Cork City whenever religious leaders are invited to Council meetings.

Rice told The Journal that he is uncertain how much support his motion will receive.

However, Ken O’Flynn, a councillor in the Cork City North-East constituency, said that he will “stand firm against these misguided attempts to erase our traditions”.

O’Flynn added that Rice’s motion “demonstrates a concerning disregard for the cultural and historical significance of Christianity in our society”.

O’Flynn, who recently joined Independent Ireland, said the motion was “divisive but also a disservice to the majority of our citizens who hold these values dear”.

He added that the “argument of the separation of Church and State has long been settled”.

“It is clear that the Church does not interfere with the day-to-day operations of Cork City Council, I don’t see the Papal Nuncio sitting in the Chief Executive’s office of City Hall, nor are our motions going for approval or ratification by the Roman Holy See.”

O’Flynn labelled it a “sensationalist proposal” that “serves no practical purpose and only distracts from the real issues affecting our city day-to-day”.

O’Flynn “urged” Rice to “focus on meaningful initiatives that address the needs of our citizens” and added that “respect for diversity should not come at the expense of erasing our cultural heritage and values”.

“We should be working together to address the pressing issues that truly impact the lives of our citizens and move forward in a spirit of unity and respect for our shared history,” said O’Flynn.

However, Rice told The Journal there are “multiple issues to work on simultaneously” and pointed to housing as a “huge priority”.

Rice noted that he has two questions down on housing for tonight’s meeting and added that he spoke last week on issues with public transport in the city and has lodged representations with the Council on housing, parks, playgrounds and footpaths.

“However, as a new councillor, the prayer and the iconography in the council chamber really struck me in the first meetings as being entirely inappropriate for a civic body,” said Rice.

“For that reason, I decided to put this motion down.”