Ireland is a “democracy and not a theocracy” – with no place for prayers or religious iconography in our city and county council chambers, a Cork councillor has said.

The city’s first Social Democrat councillor Pádraig Rice has spoken of his shock and surprise that council meetings still begin with prayer – with a crucifix hanging from the wall.

Cllr Rice said he believes there is a “time and place” for religious worship and Cork City Council meetings are not that time.

He has put down a motion calling for a clear separation of Church and State – urging Irish people to “create a modern, pluralist republic of equals”.

“This is a democracy and not a theocracy,” he told Newstalk Breakfast. 

“The people who voted for us come from all faiths and none, so I think it’s deeply inappropriate that we open our meetings with prayer [and] have religious iconography in the chamber – I just don’t see the need for it.

“I think it should be stopped; I also think symbols are really important and having symbols of one faith in the chamber and none from all the others, I think sends out a signal. 

“Our city should be about inclusion and not exclusion."

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

He noted the “special position” of the Catholic Church was removed from the Constitution in 1972 after a referendum. 

Despite this, Cllr Rice said he feels that with prayers and the crucifix it “sometimes feels like the 1930s in there”.

When asked if he thought that the crucifix should be retained as a piece of historical architecture, Cllr Rice said he thought that prayers and the crucifix are “all tied up together”. 

“I think it’s all important,” he said. 

“I think if we’re going to stop the prayer, we should probably remove the iconography as well. 

“I think it’s all connected.” 

Cllr Pádraig Rice. Image: Pádraig Rice.

Cllr Rice noted there has been a “big increase” in people recording in recent censuses that they have no religion and believes society needs to “acknowledge that fact”. 

Tonight, Cork City Council will debate a motion of secularism and, if successful, Cllr Rice suggested the chamber’s crucifix could be placed in storage or given to a religious order. 

You can listen back here:

Main image: A crucifix on a wall. Picture by: Alamy.com