FREE POPE FRANCIS COMMEMORATIVE COIN
Don’t miss out on this glorious memento to mark the Papal visit
THE Archbishop of Dublin has said the Pope should speak frankly about Church abuse scandals and ought to recognise people’s hurt over the treatment of single mothers and other vulnerable people.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, generally seen as a reformer and a liberal, said the Church had come through moments of ‘real darkness’ and needed to avoid covering up or justifying what happened.
He said: ‘My hope is that he will speak kindly but also speak frankly.’
The Archbishop said he hopes that Pope Francis will ‘challenge the Church in Ireland to be different, to be more authentically the church of Jesus Christ in a culture that is different.’
The Church is facing a global sex abuse crisis which caused great harm to a once powerful institution in Ireland.
Archbishop Martin said: ‘I keep
‘The anger was not just about abuse’
asking myself what it was in Irish Catholicism that led to such a level of harshness?’
He said the anger was not just about abuse but was also directed at a Church that was authoritarian, harsh, autocratic and self-protecting.
‘Rather than bringing the liberating message of the love of God, it imposed a world of rules to such an extent that it lacked respect for the personal life of many and especially of women.’
‘Faith requires rules and norms but there are also occasions where empty rules alienate from Jesus himself,’ he said.
Meanwhile, a report sent to the Pope by the Association of Catholic Priests, has warned that the Church is in danger of disappearing in Ireland unless it allows the ordination of women and permits priests to marry.
The report is based on a survey of Catholics by the association. Fr Roy Donovan, a spokesman for the ACP, acknowledged that the results of the survey – gathered from four regional meetings last month would make uncomfortable reading for Pope Francis.
But he confirmed that the report, which outlines seven major recommendations for reform, had been sent to the Pope via the Papal Nuncio, as it was vital the Pontiff was made aware of the concerns of Catholics, including clerics and lay people, ahead of his two-day visit.
Fr Donovan, the parish priest of Caherconlish, Co. Limerick, said: ‘I’m not overly surprised at the issues that were raised, because the Association of Catholic Priests has been highlighting these concerns for quite some time.
He said: ‘We need to create a new type of priesthood, because at the moment our priests are getting very old, and there is a major concern that there’s going to be no one to replace them once they die.’
In the ACP report, the top recommendation is to give an equal role for women in the Church, and to erase ‘the current culture of misogyny’.
In all, 1,396 people took part in the ‘on the spot’ survey, making 2,288 submissions – the vast majority of which outlined the need for major reform in the Church.
The survey also found overwhelming support for the Pope to reach out to victims of sexual abuse during his visit by apologising on behalf of the Church for the abuse and the way it was handled.
Concerns were also raised about the Church’s attitude to the LGBT community, while recommendations were made to make more efforts to connect with young people, and to overhaul the selection process for the appointment of bishops.
Fr Donovan said: ‘We felt this was a good way of communicating people’s concerns about the Catholic Church to Pope Francis.
‘He is a good listener, and wants to hear what people say,’ he added.