IRELAND
The Irish Times
July 16, 2018
By Patsy McGarry
‘Catholics must learn new ways in which they can win young hearts,’ says Diarmuid Martin
Irish Catholicism today is “foreign” to young people and needs to wake up to the situation, according to Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin.
“Change is painful; there is, however, no alternative,” he said.
“Irish religious culture is changing. The main body of the membership of Irish Catholicism and its leadership belong to an age and cultural group that is in many ways foreign to the culture of young people. The Irish church needs to waken itself to the urgency of this situation,” he said.
“This will not be easy. There is uncertainty about how to proceed,” he added, noting that there would be “a sort of passive resistance”.
“Change is painful. There is however no alternative. Catholics must learn new ways in which they can win young hearts for what the teaching of Jesus involves,” he said. “The Irish church has to re-learn the ability to speak the language of faith authentically in a world where that language may be alien. The church in Ireland needs a radical overhaul in its outreach in faith towards young people.”
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