Irish archbishop urges pope to speak frankly about abuse
VATICAN CITY (AP) – The archbishop of Dublin says he hopes Pope Francis will speak frankly about the “darkness” of priestly sex abuse during his upcoming visit to Ireland, which has been clouded by new revelations of misconduct in the U.S. church.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who has spent years trying to recover the Catholic Church’s credibility following decades of Irish abuse and cover-up, dedicated his Sunday homily to Francis’ Aug. 25-26 trip. He said it comes at a time of heightened anxiety over the future of the church in Ireland and beyond.
Martin acknowledged the scandals had produced “deep-seated resentment” at church leaders who facilitated abuse and sought to protect themselves.
He said: “It’s not enough to just say sorry. Structures that permit or facilitate abuse must be broken down, and broken down forever.”
Advertisement
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.