THE ATTITUDE of today’s Ireland to religion “is marked with ambivalence”, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said.
“Religion is still high on the agenda of Irish society . . . There is recognition for what church people do,” Dr Martin said. “There is certainly anger at some aspects of the life of the churches and yet respect for church people who are in the social vanguard. There is still ambivalence, however.”
The archbishop was speaking last night in St John the Baptist Church of Ireland, Clontarf, at an inaugural service to mark the beginning of the week of prayer for Christian unity. He spoke of cultural factors in Irish society which challenge all Christians.
“In Ireland we encounter the aggressive secularism about which Pope Benedict spoke on his visit to Britain. But there are other secularisms, perhaps more significant here in Ireland: there is the secularism of indifference and a secularism which is agreeable, pleasant and comfortable and which appeals to many in our society; there is even a secularism with a religious veneer.”
The service was attended by representatives of Dublin’s Christian denominations, including Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin John Neill who retires at the end of this month.
