NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Archbishop Diarmuid Martin sheds tears on "60 Minutes" describing meeting victims of clerical abuse

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin sheds tears on "60 Minutes" describing meeting victims of clerical abuse

Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2012 at 08:02 PM

Larger Text

E-mail

30 Comments

RSS

Archives

Diarmuid Martin on "60 Minutes"

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin shed tears on "60 Minutes" tonight as he recounted asking to see a class of eight-year old boys in a Dublin school so he could imagine what it was like for them to be abused.

He did so after meeting a man who was horrifically abused at that age by a priest in his own archdiocese.

It was an emotional highpoint of a "60 Minutes" profile that portrayed Martin as a hero of the Irish church and a voice for the children who had been abused.

The Irish Times Religious Affairs correspondent Patsy McGarry made it clear that Martin alone among the top hierarchy had come to the aid of those abused by releasing the documents detailing the charges against hundreds of priests.

He alone among top church figures retained the loyalty of the faithful, McGarry said, pointing out that his boss, Cardinal Sean Brady, Primate of All Ireland, had been totally compromised after admitting covering up allegations made by boys many years ago into the notorious pedophile Father Brendan Smyth.

By so doing Martin clearly saved many other children from abuse and stopped the cover up..

The "60 Minutes" show painted a devastating portrait of the downfall of the church in Ireland with vocations plummeting and fall off in attendance as dramatic as only 2 per cent mass attendance in some parishes, down from over 90 per cent.

Martin is the one bright star remaining in that church and his stand off with Rome and those continuing the abuse cover up was clearly outlined on "60 Minutes."

As I stated last week here Martin is the greatest living Irishman a man who has told truth to power in the most courageous and straightforward way. The "60 Minutes" profile merely underlined that.

He has refused to tolerate child abuse practitioners among his clergy, has named and shamed them and has handed over every available file on them to the proper authorities.

His acts have made him deeply unpopular in Rome and among those apologists who would somehow make child abuse a temporary little evil in the Catholic Church.

He is a turbulent priest, a popular figure in Irish history who stands with his people not the powers that be.

For that reason he is Ireland’s greatest living person. The "60 Minutes" profile will only add to the legend.

E-mail

30 Comments

See all comments

Cookieanderson1 | Mar 08, 2012, 10:31 AM EST

I wish we had men with balls like this in the U.S.

Report abuse

tombegs | Mar 07, 2012, 11:47 PM EST

"Future Saints of Ireland." It took Joan of Arc a long time to get there too. Can't remember who stood in her way. Must have been the people

Report abuse

IrelandNorth | Mar 07, 2012, 08:17 AM EST

Nicoletta! It's not the 'Irish Church'. It's the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church IN Ireland. stanJames! Homosexuals aren't equal, though they may be equivalent. [f]ogside[f]unny! You can't prove either of your assertions. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is generally considered to be a good guy, even by those of us who have long since ridden off into the sunset. Clerical child sexual abuse isn't peculiar to Catholicism. We now have a corresponding contorversy in Anglicanism. To hell with all Orthodoxies, religious and political, I say! There hasn't been an authentic Christianity since the 4th. century. Google/YouTube Gnostic Gospels - for Christ's (?) sake.

Report abuse

Scarlettkp | Mar 06, 2012, 09:03 PM EST

I think now the Priests will beat up on him, the Vatican will maybe inflict suffering on him- but talking about future Saints of Ireland! Yes it's always hard to do what's right but in the end doing what's right leads to good fruit.. it takes a lot of strength and courage to go out on a branch especially alone! I hope for the churches' sake they wake up and follow his good example but I'm not holding my breath... I can't imagine brushing aside abuse victims will lead to any good or heaven. God bless this poor Priest and protect him!

Report abuse

FrJohn2 | Mar 06, 2012, 07:20 PM EST

This guy is a populist pretending to have it right on child abuse for his own attention - not great at talking about his own disappeared clergy good at media no theology

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Mar 06, 2012, 02:39 PM EST

Glenbeigh: "Then the POPE should Visit ERIE". NO, the Pope should visit Altoona!

Report abuse

Collette2 | Mar 06, 2012, 01:14 PM EST

marymore they can always count on a woman to come to their defence. We're classed as the weakest sex, didn't you know, a tear drop here and there always wins them over. No bishop will stand out like a dogs hind leg without the consensus of the majority believe me.

Report abuse

dibble2008 | Mar 06, 2012, 08:17 AM EST

Bitter tears, Too little too late for the Institutional catholic church. We in Ireland have no faith in them. They have condemned the lives of ordinary people for centuries and moralised over every intimate aspect of their lives. Enough is enough of this abuse from clerics.

Report abuse

helmet365 | Mar 06, 2012, 03:41 AM EST

Archbishop Martin is doing a good job and good to see the young abused getting practicle support. But it may not finish there with these youths if Melbourne Australia is anything to go by.Google 'Australian Police link at least 26 Suicides to sexual abuse' This refers to only two Catholic clerical abusers, Father Gerald Risdale and Bro Best both convicted and now in jail.This has since been updated to approx 35 by a Melbourne journalist.It could end bad for for some. They will need constant support and certainly generous compensation to make up for what they have lost.

Report abuse

bogsidebunny | Mar 06, 2012, 12:33 AM EST

The Cardinal is a phony! He could care less about his "flock". It's the money lebowski!

Report abuse

maryemoore | Mar 05, 2012, 11:08 PM EST

For your information,Collette2, the Archbishop has been shunned by his fellow bishops because of being so outspoken, honest and compassionate. At his age, what is he supposed to do,look for another occupation? We need Archbishop Martin to stay in the ring and fight the good fight. Before you critise, make sure you know all the facts. He is a voice crying out in the wilderness and a true heroic Christian. He spent most of his time as a good will ambassador and was not involved in Archdiocesan business. As soon as he hit the old sod he immediately, after the shock of what he discovered, began cleaning house.

Report abuse

GLENBEIGHNATIVE | Mar 05, 2012, 10:51 PM EST

I'm AFRAID...it's too late for the TEARS...action is needed...clean house First...Then the POPE should Visit ERIE and ask FORGIVENESS from The IRISH Families.....and GOD.....God First

Report abuse

Collette2 | Mar 05, 2012, 10:51 PM EST

He is still on the hefty payroll as an archbishop and taken a vow of solidarity with Rome: the richest state in the world with diplomatic immunity usng it to the full, instead of making restitution to the shattered lives of those destroyed at the hands of clergy, covered up by agents of that dominion.

Report abuse

stanJames | Mar 05, 2012, 04:46 PM EST

To little, too late. The abuse scandal went public in the USa in 2002 by the Boston Globe........Good riddance to the church in Ireland - even IC had a very recent article about how almost no one shows up at mass in some areas.........And btw I wonder what the archbishop says about treating our gay and lesbian citizens as equals under civil marriage law............ Probably about the same as a british bishop who yesterday tried to create hatred of gays among the black community with his comments about gay marriage being like slavery...........And the German pope who said a couple mos ago ......"gay marriage will bring the end of humanity" the same pope who if you google "pope hides child molestation"....

Report abuse

CelticQueenUSA | Mar 05, 2012, 03:58 PM EST

It wrenched my heart to see ArchBishop Martin shed tears for something the higher ups are ignoring and causing good people to lie, deceive and ignore the value of truth and integrity which is taught every child in Ireland only to have the very man they should trust as a servant f God, go wrong. AB Martin is to be commended for his upright handling of all matters. I pray for him daily. The Vatican could do with a dressing down just now. They are destroying our faith in their ability to lead or directt our morals!!

Report abuse