
Pope Francis ‘did not shy away from tackling abuse', says Primate of All Ireland
Pope Francis 'didn't shy away from tackling' the impact of clerical abuse and will leave a lasting legacy, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin has said.
Speaking in Armagh on Monday, Archbishop Martin said he is 'filled with both deep sadness and immense gratitude' following the pontiff's death.
He said Francis 'was always very conscious of the traumatic impact of abuse on survivors and victims'.
The pope 'didn't shy away from tackling the awful trauma of abuse and the impact of those terrible sins and crimes by people acting in the name of the church', he said.
READ MORE
Speaking at the same event, Dublin Archbishop Dermot Farrell recalled Francis's apology to survivors of clerical abuse during his trip to Ireland in 2018.
Archbishop Farrell said Francis led efforts to learn from the mistakes of the past and made the reporting of abuse mandatory within the Catholic Church.
'He made mistakes in his own life; he would admit that,' said Archbishop Farrell.
Archbishop Eamon Martin and Archbishop Dermot Farrell spoke to members of the press after the death of Pope Francis.
When he became Archbishop of Buenos Aires and later pope, Francis showed 'great empathy for people who have suffered in their lives', added Archbishop Farrell.
'It was because of that empathy that he was able to offer his apology to these people, and that's a great mark of the man that we are mourning today,' said the Dublin prelate.
The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) was among the organisations paying tribute to the late pope.
'Inevitably, in the first rush of grief, we can overegg the significance of the deaths of those who carry our hopes and dreams of the future,' said an ACP spokesman.
However, the group added that, since the death of Pope John XXIII, no pontiff has garnered the same level of respect, warmth and love as Francis.
The ACP described Francis as 'a man who captivated the world with his humanity and mediated the Gospel of Jesus through kindness, gentleness, mercy and, above all, through the hope he lived and represented in our world and in our Church'.
Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh John McDowell said Pope Francis was 'manifestly a modest man of immovable faith who felt no need to cling frantically on to old certainties which no longer served God or his people ... His loss will be felt very keenly throughout the Catholic world.'
The leaders of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches in Ireland also expressed their condolences.
Chief Rabbi of Ireland Yoni Wieder said Francis was 'a man of principle, with a deep care for all people ... He unequivocally condemned anti-Semitism as a sin and as incompatible with true Christian faith, and he sought to strengthen the bonds between Catholic and Jewish communities.'
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chairman of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council, said Francis was a 'beacon of peace, compassion, and unity ... His tireless calls for dialogue, justice, and love for one's neighbour inspired millions around the world, transcending faith and background.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Nursery teacher turned OnlyFans star to SUE student's dad who leaked x-rated pics to football mates and got her sacked
A CATHOLIC nursery school teacher turned OnlyFans star is set to sue the dad of a pupil who got her sacked after leaking her X-rated snaps. Elena Maraga, 29, became the centre of a scandal after her erotic online account filled with adult content was leaked to a football team's group chat. Advertisement 6 Nursery school teacher Elena Maraga (pictured) was fired after her OnlyFans acount was discovered Credit: Newsflash 6 The teacher is now suing the dad she claims leaked her pictures on a football group chat Credit: Newsflash 6 Elena Maraga poses for her OnlyFans account Credit: Newsflash 6 Her X-rated pictures spread like wildfire before the dad's wife reported the miss to the school authorities Credit: Newsflash She was suspended without pay from her job at a nursery in north Although she fought fiercely to stay, church leaders said her adult content had exposed the school to "reputational risks". Now Elena is suing the dad she says found her OnlyFans profile and leaked the subscriber-only pictures to a football fans' group chat. The racey snaps spread like wildfire before the dad's wife reported the miss to the school authorities. Advertisement read more world news Elena said: 'There are parents who accused me, but they are the same ones who paid to see me. It's embarrassing. "They made me look like a harlot, but who is the immoral one? "I want to give voice to all those women who, like me, have felt condemned or punished for doing things that men also do without facing any consequences. "Me, who can do what I want with my body in my spare time, or them, who pay to watch and then condemn? Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Exclusive "I'm tired of the injustices I've suffered." Elena also filed complaints against three social media users for allegedly defamatory comments posted after the revelation broke. OnlyFans star Merve Taskin ARRESTED over offering Valentine's night with fan for £9k…& listing what she'd give in return The miss turned OnlyFans star is also facing a second legal battle in an appeal for financial compensation against school officials who she says dismissed her without reason. She said: "Despite everything, I miss the children - but not the problems related to that job that I loved. Advertisement "But today I would not go back." School authorities said her contract would be terminated "for just cause with immediate effect. It claimed that her OnlyFans account "contrasts with the The controversy was unearthed after the father of one of her pupils allegedly bought photos from her Advertisement Maraga claims that the man's wife found out after he distributed the pictures to a But the 29-year-old has blasted the way her former employer handled the matter. She said: "They attacked me, saying I was seeking media attention. "Taking compromising photos has never compromised my professionalism at work. Advertisement "The school has never wanted to talk to me, they have always acted with letters and have never wanted dialogue. 6 The 29-year-old was suspended without pay last month after refusing to delete the account Credit: Instagram 6 She had been working in a Catholic nursery for five years Credit: Instagram "I am surprised that a Catholic school that preaches morality treats an employee in this way." Advertisement The Italian education ministry has signalled its intent to draw up a new code of ethics to prevent Maraga told Italian media she has a degree in Educational Sciences and that she had been working in a Catholic nursery for five years. She told Il Messaggero: "I love being a nursery school teacher, it was my vocation since I was a child." She added that she opened the account one month ago "partly for fun, partly out of curiosity, partly to see if you could really earn Advertisement She said: "In one day I get a month's salary."


RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Exhibition marks 400th anniversary of St Oliver Plunkett's birth
The official launch of an exhibition to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett will take place in Drogheda, Co Louth today. The exhibition will include a number of artefacts and memorabilia associated with the iconic saint that have never previously been on public display. St Oliver Plunkett was born in Loughcrew in Co Meath on 1 November 1625 and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1654, having studied at the Irish College in the city. He later became the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and maintained his duties in the face of the Penal Laws when the Catholic Church was being suppressed. St Oliver Plunkett was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681. His head was rescued by a group of his friends and eventually made its way to St Peter's Church in Drogheda, where it remains today in a specially made shrine. A series of events is taking place in the town this year to mark 400 years since St Oliver Plunkett's birth, and also the 50 years since his can canonisation in 1975, when he became the first newly-made Irish saint for almost 700 years. The official launch of the St Oliver 400 Commemorative Exhibition will take place at the Drogheda Civic Offices on Fair Street. The exhibition will include St Oliver's Crozier loaned from a private collection, the original ebony casing which housed the saint's head and an original coffin plate from the Monastery of St Catherine of Siena in Drogheda. Other items going on public display are three silver crucifixes attributed to the saint and vestments loaned from St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh and Mullingar Museum. The exhibition also includes a large collection of banners, books, coins and a written account of the then archbishop's trial in London in 1681. Co-chair of the Saint Oliver 400 Community Group, Tommy Burns said: "It is fitting that St Oliver who reformed the clergy, built schools, brought peace and hope to the people is still so fondly remembered in Ireland, and exemplified in this important exhibition in Drogheda, 400 years after his birth." Meanwhile, local historian Séamus Bellew, who specialises in heraldry and genealogy, said: "This exhibition brings together a rare collection of items, comprising books, brasses and the reliquary that housed St Oliver's head, all from the 17th century and much more besides...a must see." Thomas McEvoy, Deputy Chief Executive of Louth County Council, said it is important to commemorate the life of St Oliver as his story is one of "resilience and integrity during some of the most turbulent periods in our history." Mr McEvoy said: "His unwavering commitment to peace, reconciliation, and education serves as a timeless example for us all and the Saint Oliver 400 Exhibition brings this legacy to life in a new and powerful way. "On behalf of Louth County Council, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Saint Oliver 400 Community Group who have organised this exhibition here in our Civic Offices in the heart of Drogheda." The exhibition runs at 'The Exhibition Space' at Drogheda Civic Offices on weekdays until 4 July.


Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Pope meets child protection advisory board amid call for zero tolerance on abuse
Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases. There are also demands from survivors that he enacts a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is made up of religious and lay experts in fighting abuse as well as survivors, called the hour-ong audience a 'significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewal of the church's unwavering commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people'. The group said it updated history's first American pope on its activities, including an initiative to help church communities in poorer parts of the world prevent abuse and care for victims. The Vatican did not provide the text of Leo's remarks or make the audio of the audience available to reporters. Pope Francis created the commission early on in his pontificate to advise the church on best practices and placed a trusted official, Boston's then-archbishop, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, in charge. But as the abuse scandal spread globally during Francis' 12-year pontificate, the commission lost its influence its crowning recommendation — the creation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests — went nowhere. After many years of reform and new members, it has become a place where victims can go to be heard and bishops can get advice on crafting guidelines to fight abuse. Cardinal O'Malley turned 80 last year and retired as archbishop of Boston, but he remains president of the commission and headed the delegation meeting with Leo in the Apostolic Palace. It has often fallen to Cardinal O'Malley to speak out on cases that have arrived at the Vatican, including one that remains on Leo's desk: The fate of the ex-Jesuit artist, the Rev Marko Rupnik, who has been accused by two dozen women of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse over decades. After coming under criticism that a fellow Jesuit had apparently received preferential treatment, Francis in 2023 ordered the Vatican to waive the statute of limitations on the case and prosecute him canonically. But as recently as March, the Vatican still had not found judges to open the trial. Meanwhile, the victims are still waiting for justice and Rev Rupnik continues to minister, with his supporters defending him and denouncing a 'media lynching' campaign against him. Leo, the Chicago-born former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has been credited by victims of helping to dismantle an abusive Catholic movement in Peru, where he served as bishop for many years. But other survivors have asked him to account for other cases while he was a superior in the Augustinian religious order, bishop in Peru and head of the Vatican's bishops' office. The main US survivor group, Snap, has also called for Leo to adopt the US policy calling for any priest who has been credibly accused of abuse to be permanently removed from ministry.