21st century Christians ‘often suffer ridicule or persecution’
Speaking at Holy Thursday Chrism Mass, Catholic primate Archbishop Eamon Martin spoke of the challenge of being a Christian in the 21st century.
My #ChrismMass2015 homily http://t.co/e6v6CGXnS0 #holyweek
— Eamon Martin (@ArchbishopEamon) April 2, 2015
Meanwhile, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin spoke on the theme of mercy and revealed to Massgoers that Pope Francis was not popular with all priests.
Speaking at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin, Diarmuid Martin acknowledged that “not everyone likes Pope Francis”, including many priests.
“Not everyone likes Pope Francis,” he said.
“There are even priests who do not like him and Pope Francis recognises that himself. Speaking last year to the priests of the diocese of Rome, he said that some priests had spoken to him or had written to him saying: ‘But Holy Father, what have you got against priests?’ And he noted that they had said to him that he ‘bashes priests’! That is a direct quote.”
However, Diarmuid Martin said the Pope has such high respect for the vocation that he would always strive “to encourage priests and at the same time to challenge priests to live their vocation faithfully, enthusiastically and to the fullest”.
“He can however be very critical of priests,” he said. “Just as before Christmas, Pope Francis listed 15 sicknesses which affect those who work in the Roman Curia and he is not shy in listing the professional illnesses of bishops and priests.
“As someone who has spent more than half my life working in the Roman Curia and many years now as a bishop, I may well be in for a double bashing.”
The Archbishop of Dublin said mercy was one of the themes Pope Francis had listed to help priests fulfil their vocation more enthusiastically.
“Curiously, the Pope’s comments on mercy have given rise to strong yet very differing reactions.
“Some say that there can be no mercy without truth and that truth cannot be subordinated to mercy. And that is true. Others say that mercy can never be brushed aside as irrelevant. And that also is true. What we have to remember is that truth and mercy are united in God.”
Diarmuid Martin said the Church’s greatest challenge was failing to witness the mercy and love of God — not what was in the media.
“The great challenge of the Church today is not that of the many problems we read about in the papers: About falling numbers of Church attendance or the falling numbers of vocations to the religious life, or of the many challenges which we face from within [our society and culture,” he said.
In Armagh, Archbishop Eamon Martin said holding Christian convictions “can bring upon us ridicule, condemnation, or even persecution”.
“I am thinking, for example, about our strong beliefs in the sacredness of human life from the first moment of conception until the moment of natural death; our Church’s understanding of marriage and the family; our Catholic social teaching about the fair distribution of goods, care for creation, and concern for the weakest and most vulnerable,” he said.
