Intercom  June 2023

In this interview with Intercom, Archbishop Eamon Martin (Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland) reflects on important issues the Church is facing at this time.

The following extracts from his interesting insights point us to a new pathway in hope, reconciliation and new beginnings.

Extracts

Synodality is about ‘a way of being church’ rather than an event, or once-off moment… to see bishops, lay people, priests and religious gathered around the tables talking enthusiastically together about the Church and mission – that is what synodality is all about.

Reconciliation: It is true that whilst we have made great progress here (Northern Ireland) over the past quarter of a century, we, to a large extent, remain stuck in our sectarian past… I would love to see the churches playing a greater role here, perhaps by facilitating spaces and moments for dialogue and reflection and supporting a sensitive truth recovery process to address the legacy of the past conflict.

Abuse within the Church: One of the most challenging humbling and rewarding experience of my ten years as a bishop has been to meet with so many survivors of abuse and to hear firsthand about how they were hurt and violated… Survivors want to know the truth and for the Church to say sorry. They rightly demand complete transparency and prompt cooperation with police and statutory bodies.

A Changed Ireland:  There is absolutely no doubt that Ireland has changed… The relationship between church and state bears little or no resemblance to the early decades after the foundation of the state. I sometimes wonder however, if we could have a more mature relationship which would recognize that faith has a legitimate role in public discourse.

Promoting Vocations: I think it’s really important over the coming year that our priests share their own personal vocation stories with their congregations and with young people in schools, because it’s the real-life experiences of vocation that speak to both young and older.

Yes, priesthood no longer has the kind of status that it once had in Ireland. But we priests hold a treasure, in earthen vessels, and that treasure is Christ, the Lord.

The prevalence of despair, the lack of hope and purpose… leading to many of our young people taking their lives, shows us that there is perhaps a greater need than ever to explain our reasons for living, our reasons for hoping…

Liturgy: Everything we do in the liturgy should be about supporting beauty and opening people up to the transcendent… I think there is room for encouraging greater silence in the liturgy, because the world has become so noisy and busy that people need to find an oasis of peace when they come to church for prayer and worship.

Spiritual Insights: Those words of Jesus, ‘I am with you always, until the end of time’ have always inspired me… I find great comfort in knowing that Christ walks beside me every moment of every day… sometimes when the pressures of my Episcopal responsibilities get on top of me, I pray the Divine Mercy chaplet and the Jesus prayer: Lord be merciful to me a sinner.

Of course, my daily celebration of mass and the rosary are my most essential spiritual foods which sustain and keep me hopeful.

I simply couldn’t manage if I didn’t have a sense that God is with me always.

We congratulate Archbishop Eamon Martin as he celebrates ten years as bishop and we wish him very special blessings

 

Communications