Catholicism & the 1922 Constitution
Raymond M. Keogh, graduate of University College Dublin, became a community extension officer for the UN in Central America during the 1970s. His extensive experience in tropical forestry (particularly with the teak, the high-grade hardwood), his involvement with local communities, his marriage into Salvadorian society, his first-hand knowledge of a range of world cultures, and a lifetime dedicated to understanding his own family\u2019s complex social history, became the ideal blend in which he developed the concept of our common or universal Identity. These views are expressed in his book Shelter and Shadows which was published in 2016 The 1922 Constitution In January 1922\u2014in the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921\u2014the drafting of the first constitution of the Free State was underway. Since the future development of the State was not easily predicable, the drafting committee decided to produce as short and simple a document as possible with few directive principles. One of the earliest drafts contained only ten articles. The final one entered into force on 6th December 1922 with 83 articles. One of the drafts had a strong Catholic ethos but, in contrast to the 1937 Constitution, this was rejected. The 1937 Constitution granted a special position to the Catholic Church because it was the faith professed by the great majority of Irish citizens. The 1922 Constitution provided no such recognition. However, it did acknowledge \u2018\u2026 that all lawful authority comes from God to the people \u2026\u2019 It dealt with religion, in general, in Article 8, which stated: \u2018Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen, and no law may be made either directly or indirectly to endow any religion, or prohibit or restrict the free exercise thereof or give any preference, or impose any disability on account of religious belief or religious status, or affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending the religious instruction at the school, or make any discrimination as respects State aid between schools under the management of different religious denominations, or divert from any religious denomination or any educational institution any of its property except for the purpose of roads, railways, lighting, water or drainage works or other works of public utility, and on payment of compensation.\u2019