Only time will tell if Martin has taken a poisoned chalice
THE journey from Lake Geneva to the Liffey threatened to be more of a haunting than a homecoming for Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who returned to Dublin last year to take up the post of assistant and successor-in-waiting to Cardinal Desmond Connell.
While born, bred and educated in the capital, Archbishop Martin served only briefly in his native city, or indeed his country, during the years of 1973-74 when he was curate at St Brigid's Parish in Cabinteely in south county Dublin.
His next posting was to Rome in 1975 where he was put in charge of the pastoral care of Dublin pilgrims during the Holy Year services, a temporary job that spawned a 30-year career in overseas office.
Little wonder when the offer came of filling Cardinal Connell's uncomfortable shoes, Martin declined. It is an open secret it took persuasion and pleas on behalf of the Pope to change his mind.
It was not that Archbishop Martin didn't retain a fondness for Dublin, but the dirty old town of the early 1970s had changed beyond recognition and he would have a lot of catching up to do.
Then there were the abuse scandals that had surfaced in his absence he had missed all the turmoil but also the process of transformation begun by the shocking and painful revelations.
And besides, he felt the skills he had developed in what could be described as the Catholic Church's diplomatic service were more suited to someone continuing in international affairs rather than domestic duties.
But it seems to have been these very qualifications that made him the Pope's choice for a job that had been widely tipped to go to one of three home-based bishops.
Archbishop Martin would be a fresh face coming to the post with a fresh outlook. He would be untainted by abuse allegations and free of the associated weariness that might weigh down other candidates. As a cleric used to operating in international circles in a career that was of a practical nature, he would have an advantage over his academia-steeped predecessor when it came to the exercise of clear, confident communication. That was the plan for Martin and he has had a full year as Cardinal Connell's coadjutor to prepare for putting it into action. He seems to have used the time well, acquainting himself with the individuals, organisations and institutions that make up the largest diocese in the country; discovering where the diocese fits in with the country and learning what it means to be both head of a diocese and primate of a country.
His approach has been low-key yet he has remained visible and he has spoken uncompromisingly yet without any great controversy. There is a sense, however, that he has charted a safe course while he finds his way so it will only be when troubles arise that his handling skills can be truly assessed.
At 59, he has, in Church terms, youth on his side and he has an exemplary work record that, before he made the rank of archbishop, saw him serve on the Pontifical Council for the Family, as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and as the Vatican's representative at the UN.
He only served as a bishop for two years before he was appointed archbishop in 2001 and after that he was made Permanent Observer of the Holy See in Geneva, liaising with the UN, the World Trade Organisation and other international bodies, and adding racism and discrimination to his specialist areas of interest.
This journey, from working class neighbourhood in a city of little global significance to the polished office blocks in the hub of international affairs has made for a rounded individual with an appetite for life. So far the return trip has gone smoothly but whether the ghosts of archbishoprics past will allow it to remain that way is another question.
