Irish archbishop says impact of clerical abuse is wide-ranging

Armagh Archbishop Eamon Martin said abuse had damaged priestly fraternity, credibility and the “precious trust” between priests and their people.

There are many times, he said, when priests feel their brokenness, woundedness and their need for God, especially when they learn that some of their brother priests have committed awful sins and crimes of abuse.

Speaking at the 50th National Day of Intercession for Priests at Ireland’s International Eucharistic and Marian Shine in Knock, Archbishop Martin told the assembled priests that one of the greatest challenges they face is to be “good news” for the world even though they may see their priesthood undermined or attacked.

The annual intercession for priests, he said, had helped remind priests that priesthood is not like other jobs or professions because “it is subsumed into our whole being. Our priesthood is not our own. It is a share in the priesthood of Christ”.

Separately, in his homily for an open-air Mass on the Hill of Slane in County Meath for the “Light the Fire” faith event, Archbishop Martin said that these are challenging times for the faith.

He noted that many in Ireland have drifted away from practising the faith, distracted by “a frantic world of materialism and consumerism” and the superficial promises of easy pleasure and success. 

“We must be alert to the false gods that surround us, and their empty promises, stealing away life and happiness from our people through addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling and gaming; destroying the hearts and minds of our children through unfiltered access to misinformation and harmful content online,” he warned.

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Clerical abuse damaged credibility and trust, says Archbishop (By Sarah Mac Donald/The Tablet)