Without a vibrant democracy, dark forces will emerge to “exploit grievances and turn debate between opponents into a struggle against enemies”, the leader of the Catholic Church in Dublin has said.
Archbishop Dermot Farrell warned that a system of government and public administration was needed that provides “robust defences against those who target public figures for intimidation in person or on social media”.
He made his comments as churches and parishes across the country prepare for Christmas liturgies, traditionally the busiest time of the year for them.
Dr Farrell said that our system of government “must be seen to be capable of serving the common good” and meet “the needs of the people”. It must also produce outcomes that secure the dignity of all and “provide hope for a better future”.
A flourishing democracy, he said, also requires people who are willing to put themselves forward and accept the judgment of the electorate and “know how to live with one another and with political differences”.
Dr Farrell would not be drawn on the near-election of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch in his own parish.
However, he said there was much to ponder from the election results, not least the level of turnout in the electoral process itself.
“No one can be sanguine at low levels of participation and all must be attentive to indications of alienation or disillusionment, as well as disenchantment with the democratic process,” he said.
In his wide-ranging comments, Dr Farrell said homelessness is “the most obvious and disturbing aspect of the housing crisis being experienced in Dublin”.
Noting that the Commission on Housing report outlined the many factors which have contributed to this and the need for an appropriately comprehensive response from the public authorities, Dr Farrell said Dublin diocese is making its own “direct response to homelessness”.
It is generally agreed that increased housing supply of all kinds is a critical ingredient in the response to the housing crisis
This is being done through the provision of a family accommodation hub by Crosscare, the diocesan social care agency, in the premises of the former Mater Dei Institute.
“Over the years, parishes and religious communities have made sites which were not required for mission available for housing development,” he said.
“It is generally agreed that increased housing supply of all kinds is a critical ingredient in the response to the housing crisis. I expect that over coming years, as parishes in the diocese assess what is required for ministry, opportunities will be identified to support housing provision.”
On the back of projections for the Dublin diocese that priest numbers are set to fall by 70pc by 2044, Archbishop Farrell acknowledged there is “clearly a major pastoral challenge”.
Only two priests have been ordained in the largest diocese in the country since 2020.
Dr Farrell said it would “soon” become “more acute” as the number of priests available in the diocese “reduces sharply”.
He conceded that the number of candidates for priesthood in Dublin in recent years has been “remarkably small”.
“It is not difficult to identify reasons why discerning a vocation to priesthood and acting on it may be difficult, given our history and the state of popular culture,” he said.
“What is equally clear is that the people of our diocese greatly value the ministry of our priests.”
He believes the church and the faithful need to become “more intentional about fostering vocations and encouraging those who may feel called to this ministry to come forward”.
This is not in any way to take from the unique importance of priesthood
The former president of the national seminary in Maynooth said he was aware of a number of young men who are trying to discern whether they have a vocation to the priesthood, and he is “very grateful” to priests who have come to Ireland from other countries.
But he stressed that while prayer for vocations to the priesthood should continue, “we must also foster ministry and service among all the baptised within a framework of co-responsibility”.
Describing himself as “very encouraged” by the hundreds of parishioners who have come forward for training in different aspects of ministry and to serve on parish pastoral councils and parish finance committees, he said there are many tasks which traditionally fell to the local priest to which many talented and committed lay people now undertake.
“This is not in any way to take from the unique importance of priesthood,” he said.
“The diocese has also continued to attract men as permanent deacons, an ordained ministry which was not present in Dublin before 2012.
“Overall, there are many grounds for hope and confidence that the spirit will enable the church in Dublin to develop its mission even as the pace of change continues to accelerate.”