An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar EXCLUSIVE
A Tipperary priest has called on the Taoiseach to apologise for his “offensive and derogatory” remarks which likened Micheál Martin to hypocritical priests.
Speaking in the Dáil yesterday afternoon, Taoiseach Leo Varakar compared the opposition leader to “one of those parish priests who preaches from the altar, telling us to avoid sin while secretly going behind the altar and engaging in any amount of sin himself”.
In response to his comments, Fr Michael Toomey of Clonmel has asked the Taoiseach to apologise for the gross caricature.
“I wonder if you might retract such a statement and apologise to those priests who are working tirelessly across parishes up and down our country, and doing our best to alleviate the suffering your government is failing in?
“I personally found your comments extremely offensive and derogatory. I fully appreciate that the Church has failed miserably by some in the past, particularly in the abuse of so many, but that many of us are serving our communities in so many ways to the best of our ability,” Fr Toomey said in a letter sent to the Taoiseach.
The parish priest pointed to the work of Bro. Kevin in the Capuchin Day Centre and Fr Peter McVerry as examples of Christian discipleship, who are also helping to address the government’s “total failure” with the homelessness crisis.
“We are all sinners Taoiseach, yet we as Catholics have faith in the love and mercy of God in all our lives. Your comments have deeply hurt so many of us priests and singled us out tarnishing us all with the one brush,” Fr Toomey said.
“On behalf of myself, those priests I spoke to who are extremely upset with your comments, and the thousands of priests who are doing their best to minister to, and alleviate suffering in our country, I would be grateful if you could retract that analogy, and make an apology to those of us who are ministering up and down the country to the best of our ability.”