Opinion carries weight

Remarks made in recent days by the president of the national seminary at Maynooth, Monsignor Hugh Connelly, are neither creditable nor credible.

In light of the decision by Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin, to stop sending seminarians to Maynooth, Mons Connelly went on RTÉ radio to describe the atmosphere at the seminary as ‘healthy and wholesome.’ But a number of former seminarians have said the opposite.

Mons Connelly subsequently said he has “no reason to believe” that there are priests and seminarians in Maynooth who are engaging in a non-celibate lifestyle. Yet former seminarians have spoken of a gay sub-culture in Maynooth.

While Archbishop Martin’s action is not being followed by most other bishops or the Catholic Primate of Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, his decision is a serious reflection on the governance of Maynooth.

He remains one of the most honest and respected figures in Irish Catholicism, and while his views may not accord with those of his fellow bishops, they cannot be easily dismissed.