'Trainee priests going on a dating site, there's something wrong there'

By Paul Hosford
Journal
August 7, 2016

http://www.thejournal.ie/maynooth-seminary-grindr-diarmuid-martin-2914796-Aug2016/

THE ARCHBISHOP OF Dublin has called for a new community-based system for training priests.

Diarmuid Martin was speaking to RTÉ’s This Week programme today after a week of media activity around alleged gay culture in place at St Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Ireland’s national seminary.

Anonymous allegations had been made that seminarians had been using Grindr, a gay dating app.

Martin had on Tuesday confirmed to the Irish Times that he would not be sending three student priests from his diocese to the seminary, describing “an atmosphere of strange goings-on”.

Speaking today, he said that if priests need to be taken out of an environment, it’s his job to do so.

“I have an obligation, if I feel there is an atmosphere that is unsettling for my students I have to take action.

Seminarians going on a dating site, there’s something wrong there.

“I have to live with my conscience and I have no difficulty in doing that.”

Martin added that he would like to see priests trained away from the seminary, but that he was not going to tell other bishops what to do.

“Maybe their seminarians are telling them they’re quite happy in Maynooth.

“I believe when I see something that I am not happy with, that I would be very foolish not to take action about it.

“Until I have clarity about the climate in Maynooth I prefer to send them to Rome.”