Catholic Church’s stance on women alienates people, archbishop says

IRELAND
The Irish Times

November 16, 2017

By Patsy McGarry

Diarmuid Martin says gender issues a bigger factor in falling engagement than sex abuse

The low standing of women in the Catholic Church is the most significant reason for the feeling of alienation towards it in Ireland today, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said.

“Next would be the ongoing effect of the scandals of child sexual abuse,” he said in an address on Thursday.

“I believe, in particular, that people have underestimated the effect of the scandals on young people.”

He added that young people’s “disgust at what happened is deep-rooted”.

Dr Martin said one of the most disappointing documents that he had read since becoming archbishop concerned a recent survey of young people in Dublin, conducted in preparation for the Synod of Bishops on Young People in Rome next year.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.