Archbishop Brady elevated to cardinal

Speaking in Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, Archbishop Brady said: "I hope that those who have worked so hard to establish peace in recent years will see in this honour a further expression of Pope Benedict's confidence in what has been achieved in Northern Ireland.

"Recently, the Holy Father expressed his hope that the peace which is already bringing renewed hope in Northern Ireland will inspire others across the world to recognise that only forgiveness, reconciliation and mutual respect can bring lasting peace."

He said he knew that the continued success of the political institutions in the North and the effort to move to the deeper dimensions of reconciliation were matters close to the heart of the Pope.

"I believe this announcement is in part an expression of his desire to see that process continue to succeed and become a model for the rest of the world," said Archbishop Brady.

He revealed he had had expressions of support and messages of goodwill from across Ireland - including from the office of First Minster, Ian Paisley, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, in Belfast.

Messages had also poured in from President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and both the Irish and British governments.

"I feel humbled in the face of such compelling good wishes and support on behalf of our political community," said the archbishop.

"I assure all those with political and civic responsibility of my continued commitment to working with them for the common good of the whole of this island."

When he travels to Rome to be created cardinal on November 24, it will mean that, for the first time in history, Ireland will have three cardinals.

Archbishop Brady's predecessor Cardinal Cathal Daly and Cardinal Desmond Connell were among the first to offer him their congratulations.

As the other two cardinals are aged more than 80, Archbishop Brady, 68, will be the only voice from Ireland with a vote in the college of cardinals.

His elevation comes at a time of falling numbers attending church in Ireland and he touched on that during a press conference in Armagh.

He said: "My hope is that this appointment will in some sense help people to appreciate again the value of the heritage of their Christian faith. I hope it will bring a renewed sense of the unity we share in baptism, especially among the young."

News of the archbishop's appointment filtered out during the day and there was wild applause and standing ovations when he dropped in to St Patrick's Cathedral to attend a special mass for hundreds of girls attending St Catherine's College, Armagh.

Addressing the students, he told them: "This is an honour, not for me, but for the church in Ireland and a special honour for the church in Armagh."

In an address to the pupils, school principal Deidre McDonald said she was delighted to be amongst the first group to congratulate the archbishop on his daunting and important new role.

She said: "It is a happy coincidence that this great news should come on a day when we are having a whole school mass in St Patrick's Cathedral.

Archbishop Brady was born in 1939 at Drumcalpin, near Laragh, in Co Cavan, and after an early education in the local school, he went to St Patrick's College, Cavan, and on to the church's St Patrick's College, Maynooth, before attending the Irish College in Rome.

He was ordained in February 1964 and, after postgraduate studies in canon law at the Lateran University in Rome, he returned to teach at St Patrick's, Cavan, in 1967.

In 1980, he was appointed vice rector of the Irish College in Rome - becoming rector in 1987. He remained there until 1993, when he was appointed parish priest of Castletara, Ballyhaise, Co Cavan.

In February 1995, he was ordained Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh and, a year and a half later on the retirement of Cardinal Daly, he became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in October 1996.