Cathal Barry
Bro Kevin A priest working at the coalface in Dublin’s north inner city has said a “spiritual battle” is needed to help tackle the ongoing gang violence there.
Fr Robert Colclough of St Laurence O’Toole Church, Seville Place, told The Irish Catholic that the Church has a responsibility to challenge criminals who were carrying out shootings and violent acts.
“We need to challenge people to move away from a style of life that isn’t morally right. There is a spiritual battle on our hands here. It’s not just a battle on the streets with guns and everything, there is a spiritual battle here that is very evident,” he said.
Strength
“It doesn’t take an awful lot of strength to hold onto violence or drugs. It takes an awful lot of strength to let go of those things,” he added.
His comments were echoed by Fr Richard Ebejer of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Sean McDermott Street, who insisted that “the criminality needs to be tackled”, adding that there was a need to “present alternatives to young people” living in Dublin’s inner city to prevent them from resorting to lives of crime.
“If there is a concerted effort made then the area can improve but if there are no opportunities, jobs or otherwise, for the local people, then they have to resort to other means.
“It is not acceptable that these things are happening blatantly, right in your face, in the streets of Dublin. Crime in some way is being glamorised and that needs to be stopped,” he warned.
Their comments come as Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald pledged to step up the criminal justice response after a string of murders linked to drug gangs.
Escalation
Bro. Kevin Crowley of the Capuchin Day Centre said people were living in fear in Dublin’s north inner city with the escalation of violent murders in recent months.
“The majority of people I speak to are in fear of what’s happening. The drug scene is absolutely appalling.
“What these drug dealers are doing, supplying young people with drugs, is absolutely awful and they should be severely punished for it.
“Somebody needs to explain to these people the damage that they are causing to society and to people’s lives,” he said.
Underlining the importance of the Church being to the forefront, Fr Colclough said: “We hear about all these guns and these deadly weapons being put in the hands of criminals but as people of faith we have probably the most powerful weapon in love and the power of the cross.”