Martin call for Pope to tackle church abuse
Archbishop’s appeal over historic visit to Ireland
POPE Francis must deal with the issue of Catholic Church abuse when he visits Ireland next month, the Archbishop of Dublin said yesterday.
And he believes the pontiff must address the matter in the present tense as many people continue to carry around the scars.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin made the comments about the historic two-day visit in August on yesterday’s Marian Finucane Show.
It will be the first Papal visit to Ireland since Pope John Paul II in 1979 and the country has undergone a radical change with a spate of scandals rocking the nation.
The Pope will be expected to address this and related abuse by religious institutions such as the Magdalene Laundries and mother and baby homes. The archbishop said the visit will be significant as the Pope addresses a changed society.
However, he added Pope Francis recognises this and it is one of the reasons he is so eager to visit. More than 500,000 people are expected to flock to Phoenix Park for the final Mass, with popular musical acts scheduled to perform. Daniel O’donnell, Nathan Carter, The Begley Family, Riverdance, The Priests, Deaftones and Moya Brennan will all take to the stage at Croke Park on August 25. Archbishop Martin said the presentation will be challenged by the fact the Pope doesn’t speak English, but there will be titles displayed on a large screen. He also spoke out on the planned “Say Nope to the Pope” protests. The archbishop added he respects everybody’s right to an opinion but disagrees with this possibly preventing others from attending. news@irishmirror.ie