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Irish campaign to make 'WW1 hero priest' a saint
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Fr Willie Doyle, an Irish priest and British Army chaplain killed in WW1 while aiding wounded soldiers, is being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church in Ireland.
- Doyle was known for his bravery at major battles like the Somme and Passchendaele, where he died under shellfire helping injured soldiers, including those of other Christian denominations.
- The Fr Willie Doyle Association, founded in 2020, is leading the sainthood campaign, supported by extensive documentation and a diocesan inquiry conducted by the Diocese of Meath.
- Doyle’s letters provide valuable historical insight into Irish soldiers’ experiences in WW1, and his life exemplifies peace, reconciliation, and ecumenism, qualities seen as relevant today.
- The Bishop of Meath highlighted Doyle’s example as a unifying spiritual figure, expressing confidence in the success of the canonisation process as the case is sent to the Vatican.
