The new Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell, talks about his priorities for the Archdiocese and his appointment at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has affected so many lives in Ireland.
By Lydia O’Kane
The new Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell, was installed in St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in the capital of Ireland on Tuesday morning.
The main celebration was Archbishop Farrell, who accompanied Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, Apostolic Nuncio, to Ireland.
The former Bishop of Ossory, in the east of Ireland, is taking over the reins of the archdiocese amid a worldwide pandemic during which Ireland has seen an increase in cases – and tragically, in the number of victims.
He also takes on this role as the church in Ireland faces a number of challenges, including a decline in professions, elderly priests, a decline in mass attendance, and an increasingly secular country.
In an extensive interview with Vatican Radio prior to its installation, Archbishop Farrell addressed many of these issues and outlined his top priorities as head of the archdiocese.
He begins by talking about his surprise that he has been appointed Archbishop of Dublin.
‘No one was more surprised than I was to be asked by Pope Francis to move to Dublin. “It was a bit surreal at the time, but when I was asked, I said it’s something Pope Francis wants and it’s part of a process of discernment,” he said.
Current challenges
A decline in professions and a corresponding increase in the number of elderly priests are just a few of the challenges facing the Church in Ireland today. Asked if he found these challenges frightening, the archbishop said that although there are challenges in the archdiocese and in the country as a whole, they can also be seen as opportunities.
‘It could be a car to drive a certain reform that is somewhat in arrears in terms of the number of churches and congregations we have, because there are big changes, for example, in parts of the archdiocese where you are currently quite a low Catholic population. “He explained.” There is an opportunity to be a mission church, and ‘every planning for the future must articulate the steps and stages needed to achieve ways to reach out’. The archbishop also noted that the pandemic accelerated the challenges rather than bringing them about.
Top priorities
Archbishop Farrell outlined his top priorities for the archdiocese, emphasizing that evangelism should be one of the key areas in the congregations. The faith must be a living faith in these communities, ‘he said.
The archbishop also pointed out that young generations – younger than 50 – are less and less likely to be part of a congregation and faith-based groups. “When that happens, several generations will be separated from the faith.” He said, however, that there is an opportunity for young parents to reconnect with the faith when their children begin to receive the sacraments, and it is important that the church be there for those who have a cultural connection with the faith, rather than a commitment. .
Protection
Archbishop Farrell addressed his predecessor’s leadership as ‘courageous’ about protection in the Irish Church, especially in Dublin. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, he said, “entered Dublin at a very difficult time … he set up very good structures in the diocese.”
The new archbishop stressed that the protection of children under his leadership will remain a focal point, saying that “complacency is often the killer of protection … because people forget over time.” He further said the abuse that had happened in the past could never be allowed again.
Mother and baby houses
Just over two weeks ago, an Irish Commission of Inquiry published a new report on Mother and Baby Homes in the Republic of Ireland, which found that from the 1920s to the 1990s thousands of babies died in these homes, mainly due to the Catholic Church is governed. .
Archbishop Farrell said of the findings: “It helped shed light on what happened to vulnerable women and children inside the walls of those homes, but also outside the walls of those homes.” He also stressed that those responsible should be held accountable.
‘The religious orders and some individuals in a sense did not reflect the Gospel values we espouse, and we still hold on’, and at the end of the day ‘we have in mind the gift of the child lost ‘, he said.
He described how ‘a part of the faith life in these places became sterile, and many lived the shadows of what could at best be described as a kind of a very dark world or gray world. And it is a different life from the one we recognize as the full life of God offered to every person – man, woman and child – made in the image and likeness of God.
Covid pandemic
Like many countries, Ireland also faced the coronavirus pandemic. This island nation has seen a significant increase in cases and deaths due to the virus in the last few weeks, leading to a total exclusion with only essential shops open and church services back online.
The archbishop said, “What the pandemic has brought home to us is the value of life in all its stages from beginning to end.” He also acknowledged the suffering of many people who have lost loved ones and who are unable to even visit patients in the hospital due to current limitations.
Hope for Dublin
Asked what kind of Dublin he would like to see, Archbishop Farrell said that from a church point of view he would like to see the renewal of the congregation supported by hope and joy.
He also talked about the importance of ‘good liturgy’ which has the ability to uplift people. Another area that the archbishop highlighted was the issue of professions, which he said should increase, along with the desire to involve lay people in a larger way.
‘Sometimes we forget that there are many women, lay people, women who are religious, an essential and living part of the living church. We must therefore engage all these people who are willing to get involved with the congregation and create the opportunities to get involved. ”
This article has been updated