Speaking to The Tablet, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said he is “very taken” with the number of young adults who have stepped up and said they want to talk about their faith in the context of the Irish Synodal Pathway and the Armagh Diocesan Congress, which takes place in March.
“It’s small, but it is nonetheless significant and totally countercultural in many ways. I see it here at local level in the parish. Young adults are meeting and doing Alpha youth programmes. We have a group of about 30 young people who are currently collecting food for the poor in our area and in Belfast.”
On the openness to faith among young people, he noted that many are saying that the alternative to faith is emptiness and hopelessness.
“Gen Z are saying the emperor has no clothes, they are searching and they are finding a relationship with Jesus. They are not yet perhaps at the point of a relationship with the Church, but they’ll find that in due course.”
Archbishop Martin paid tribute to the Church in Ireland which had “courageously set out on a journey” through the Irish Synodal Pathway.
“We are trying to find new life, new growth in the Church. It’s going to be a slow process, but nonetheless, I think it’s one that we are up for. The change needs to begin locally and regionally, and it needs to be supported nationally.”
Speaking about the forthcoming congress, he said three themes had emerged: youth, faith and family.
“There is no question that supporting family, marriage and children in the faith is major priority for all of us. People need their faith.”
Archbishop Martin said that October’s National Synodal Assembly for the Irish Church would be “really important”.
He said he was “quite taken” by the progress achieved so far by the sSteering group who are concentrating on the issue of baptism and the seven priorities which emerged from consultations.
On the issue of the role of women in the Church, he said, “The Irish Synodal Pathway never at any stage pretended that they were going to be able to change the Church’s teaching on women in the priesthood.”