Dublin's archbishop responds to disappointment over meetings in Rome
February 18, 2010
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, back in Ireland after two days of meetings between the Irish bishops and Pope Benedict, said that those meetings were only part of a long process for the Irish Church. The archbishop stressed that the Irish bishops are fully committed to restoring public confidence and to healing the wounds within the Church-- particularly the wounds of abuse victims.
Speaking in Dublin on Ash Wednesday, Archbishop Martin took pains to counteract disappointment with the outcome of the meetings in Rome. He told reporters that it was unrealistic to have expected bishops to resign during the sessions with the Pope-- in fact, the question of resignation was not on the agenda during the talks. Prior to the meetings, Archbishop Martin had predicted a major shake-up of the Irish hierarchy.
Archbishop Martin has been at the center of the controversy that arose after publication of the Murphy Commission report on sex-abuse policies in the Dublin archdiocese. Archbishop Martin, who was serving in Rome during the time covered by the report, has stated flatly that some bishops who are accused of covering up abuse should re-assess their positions.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
