For the first time in 27 years permission was refused for a Dublin Mass at the weekend in memory of the late Archbishop Oscar Romero, murdered in San Salvador on March 24th, 1980, by security forces because of his outspokenness on behalf of the poor in El Salvador.
For the past 20 years anniversary Masses for the archbishop have taken place at Adam and Eve's Franciscan Church on the city's Merchant's Quay. Prior to that they took place at the Jesuits' St Francis Xavier Church in Gardiner Street.
Brendan Butler, chairman of the El Salvador Support Committee, told The Irish Times last night that their request to hold the Mass at Adam and Eve's, as customary, was refused as a new superior at the church had decided Archbishop Romero's anniversary "was a private devotion and as such no public Masses will be allowed" to honour him.
Mr Butler said he was "totally disgusted with this decision."
Since January last year the Merchant's Quay parish has been run by the Augustinians at nearby Meath Street, but when contacted last night they were unaware of the refusal to permit the Mass this year.
There was no response from the Franciscan's at Adam and Eve's last night.
A spokesman for Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin, who is in Rome for ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, was also unaware of and puzzled by the decision to withdraw permission for the Mass.
In 2005, at the end of the Mass in the Merchant's Quay church on April 1st that year held to mark the 25th anniversary of the murder, Dr Martin, the Mass celebrant received news of the death of Pope John Paul.
He immediately told the congregation, which included members of the El Salvador Support Committee and people from Catholic relief agency Trócaire.