Cathal Barry
A veteran newspaper publisher has warned that the Irish media risks losing a sense of the important voice of faith in public debate.
Matt Dempsey, the former chairman of the National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI), questioned whether people have “become so mesmerised by the scandals that they overlook the selfless sacrifices of thousands as they tried over the centuries to do good”.
Writing in this newspaper, Mr Dempsey insisted that “there has to be a recognition of ultimately what a man like Pope Francis and the Church ultimately stands for”.
The former chairman of the NNI, the representative body for national newspapers which has rebranded as NewBrands Ireland, said it was “that appreciation and recognition that has to some extent been lost in modern Ireland”.
Noting that attitudes to religion and faith “vary enormously”, Mr Dempsey insisted that as Irish society progresses educationally, “we have a responsibility to ensure that our religious education continues in step with our secular education”