Church must reach out and not just condemn, says Martin

THE CHURCH has to learn a new approach in order not to alienate people while avoiding giving the impression that “anything goes”, the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, has said, writes Sarah Mac Donald.

In a major address entitled “The Church in Ireland – Signs of Hope – New Challenges”, the archbishop said criticism of society by church leaders will be welcomed often only in those areas where that criticism is the flavour of the day.

Referring to the current discussions on marriage and the family ahead of this year’s synod in October, the archbishop said the Church argues from general principles, while others argued from concrete examples of people they know and their personal hopes, frustrations and desires. “We will attain more by reaching out to them rather than by simply condemning,” he said during the talk in Tralee. Archbishop Martin cited Pope Francis’ pedagogy, which he said is not a pastoral of “anything goes” but a “pedagogy of pastoral patience”. He added that the Church can learn from the witness of married couples.