BELFAST (NORTHERN IRELAND)
Irish News
February 14, 2019
By William Scholes
WHEN the Irish News spoke to Archbishop Eamon Martin at Christmas about the clerical sexual abuse conference which takes place in Rome next week, he said he intended to draw on the Irish experience to “encourage others to come out of denial”.
“Ireland will be able to bring our bitter, sad experience of what it has been like, how the story of abuse has destroyed lives, how it has damaged people’s faith and trust in the Church,” he said, adding that clerical abuse “has even shattered people’s relationship with God in some cases”.
The summit, which was announced in September, is the first global gathering of bishops to discuss the abuse scandal.
Pope Francis called the meeting following a request from the group of cardinals who advise him.
Dr Martin said he hoped the meeting would also bring “some clearer sense within the Church on issues of accountability”.
“In Ireland, our fundamental accountability is to the law,” he said.
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