NI human rights advocate Monsignor Denis Faul dies.

[CBHagman]

I happened on this story at the Catholic News Service website.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20060626.htm#head15

"Irish Catholics gathered to mourn Msgr. Denis Faul, one of Northern Ireland's most famous human rights campaigners, who died at 74 after battling cancer. 'A hunger for justice, for peace, for reconciliation was the driving force behind the life of Denis Faul. Over 30 years he was a prophetic voice for the Catholic community in Northern Ireland. He was the voice for the voiceless, the friend of the repressed,' said Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Clifford of Armagh, Northern Ireland, in the funeral homily at St. Colmcille Church in Carrickmore, Northern Ireland, June 23. Msgr. Faul died June 21 at Dublin's Bon Secours Hospital. He served his last nine years at St. Colmcille Church. 'He fought fearlessly on behalf of victims of violence no matter what the source. He is remembered as the priest who exposed the injustice of violence,' the bishop said. 'Today we mourn one of the great icons of priesthood in our diocese. We mourn a man committed to his priesthood and to his work for people. He was one of the great priests of our time.'"



I'm not sure how long the Belfast Telegraph link to the story is up, but here it is:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=695908

And here's the RTE link:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0621/fauld.html

"He was chaplain to the Maze prisoners during the H-Block hunger strikes in 1980 and 1981.

"While he strongly opposed the fasts, his efforts in organising meetings of the hunger strikers' families were viewed as instrumental in bringing the protest to an end.

"Monsignor Faul was strongly critical of the British Army and the RUC while also condemning the Provisional IRA."