Chai Brady
Archbishop Eamon Martin There are many people who want to publicly express the Faith but fear “ridicule” in Ireland, according to the Primate of All-Ireland and the Archbishop of Armagh.
Archbishop Eamon Martin was speaking on St Patrick’s Podcast, which operates out of the Saint Patrick Centre in Co. Down.
He was asked what he would ban from Ireland, in the spirit of how St Patrick is said to have banished the snakes. “I mean there’s a lot of people in Ireland today who want to live the Christian faith, who want to be Catholic, who want to publicly profess their Catholic Faith and feel they cannot do so because of ridicule, because, in some cases, of downright oppression of what they believe in, and perhaps verging on forms of persecution. I would like to ban persecution from Ireland,” Archbishop Eamon told the hosts of the show, pilgrim guides Martina Purdy and Elaine Kelly.
On the same podcast he acknowledged that the Church has been in decline, but was hopeful about the future in terms of rebuilding after the impact of Covid.
“We have a lot of very devoted, faithful, fervent Catholics who want to play a part in their Church and what we have to do is unlock that potential, those wonderful gifts that the Holy Spirit is giving for the rebuilding of the Church.”