RTÉ’s decision to drop the Angelus to cover US President Joe Biden’s visit is a “disgrace”, a Lunchtime Live listener has said. 

The Angelus is usually broadcast at 6pm just prior to the broadcaster’s flagship news programme. 

It has been criticised by some as no longer appropriate in an increasingly secular Republic but others think the broadcast is important. 

“There’s no way the Angelus should have been dropped for Joe Biden,” Joseph said. 

“It’s a disgrace but that’s RTÉ - what do you expect?” 

Mass going in Ireland has been in steady decline in recent decades but Joseph believes Catholicism is still an important part of Ireland’s history and heritage. 

“On Easter Sunday, they’re all down laying wreaths… for 1916,” he said. 

“But our freedom started with Daniel O’Connell; they call him the Great Emancipator and that’s our history. 

“It’s through Catholicism that we got our freedom.” 

He is concerned that advocates of secularism want to see Christianity “obliterated” and thinks society would be much worse off without it. 

“I believe in God and everything will fall apart when you remove God,” he said. 

“You’ll see that happening as we head forward.” 

W19EMK Religion church Ireland St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church and graveyard Dungarvan in sunset light. Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland

Irish language activist Darach Ó Séaghdha think it is high time RTÉ drop the Angelus entirely. 

“I don’t think people would miss it much,” he said. 

“I know people do defend it and say, ‘Oh, it’s a tradition we have’ - but it’s not something that RTÉ are actually compelled to show as part of their public service broadcast remit.” 

He said the President’s visit was not the first time the broadcaster had dropped the Angelus and there have been “no consequences”. 

“So, maybe we should just chuck the whole thing altogether?” he said. 

“It’s not something they’re contracted to do.” 

The Angelus has been broadcast regularly on RTÉ since 1950.

Main image: A statue of the Virgin Mary. Picture by: Alamy.com