Archbishop admits Church is damaged

The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Dr Sean Brady has acknowledged that recent sex abuse scandals have damaged the Church’s reputation.

In a pastoral letter to all parishes today, Dr Brady says that much work must be done to restore people’s trust in the Church and raise the morale of priests.

Dr Brady also paid tribute to the actions of victims who have come forward to highlight cases of child abuse.

He said that these people were motivated not only by a desire for justice, but also by their love for the Church. He thanked these people for their defence of the majority of priests who are blameless in these matters.

Dr Brady reaffirmed that the Church would fully co-operate with any investigation that was carried out.

The Archbishop also said that the Church needs to repent for its weaknesses and failures and ask for forgiveness.