Primate to meet abuse survivors ahead of Rome conference

The Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, will meet survivors of clerical abuse before the highly anticipated Vatican meeting on the Protection of Minors from February 21-24, 2019.

“As a priest and bishop, I have already met many survivors and have always found it a humbling yet important and worthwhile experience,” he told CatholicIreland.net, adding that in the new year he will plan further meetings to enable meaningful and constructive engagement with survivors and others in advance of the Rome convention.

“I will set aside time before going to Rome so that I can hear first-hand the thoughts of victims and survivors, as well as speak to some of their representatives and those who have been providing counselling and support services to survivors of abuse in Ireland,” Archbishop Martin said.

His comments come after the steering committee for the February meeting in the Vatican on the Protection of Minors wrote to the presidents of the episcopal conferences of the world asking them to prepare for the meeting.