These have not been the best of times for the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, or for the Catholic Church in Ireland. Dr Connell is a man of obvious faith who has had to preside over one of Europe's largest Catholic dioceses at a time of great upheaval and falling away in the Irish Church generally. In handling many of the controversies and scandals that have occurred during his tenure, he - like many of his fellow bishops - may not always have been wholly judicious. But this does not obviate the fact that the Catholic Church has given and continues to give, positive leadership on issues such as refugees and asylum seekers, housing, and the poor. It has been among the most insightful critics of the Celtic Tiger, trying to ensure that as we rush headlong towards unprecedented wealth we do not forget the marginalised amongst us. It has also been among the most consistent critics of the secularisation of our society, focusing attention on the implications this has for us as a people and as individuals.
But in his thoughtful and potentially significant article on the page opposite, Dr Connell breaks new ground in what could be the beginning of a new relationship between the Irish people and the Catholic Bishops - and not just the alienated of their flock. The admission of the sense of betrayal caused by so many scandals is to be welcomed. Even more so, the frank acknowledgement of hurt caused by bad experiences with those who act in the Church's name through "misunderstanding, by harshness, intolerance, insensitivity at moments of personal anxiety or when feelings are raw". In particular, Dr Connell's expression of a desire to reach out to all who have felt this kind of hurt, and his honest expression of sorrow "for hurt I have caused" is deserving of a generous response. Dr Connell's plea for forgiveness, both on his own behalf and on behalf of his Church, should not be ignored or dismissed. It is in all our interests that the great rupture being experienced within the Catholic Church on this island should begin to heal.
For the greater part of this decade the Church has experienced turmoil. Its position of power and pre-eminence in the State has been eroded. Its bishops and priests have been humiliated. Morale has plummeted as vocations fall and the future seems uncertain. It has become an easy target for the disgruntled and disenchanted. It has not always helped its own case. But we must not forget the great contribution it has made to the material and spiritual welfare of the Irish people at home and abroad this past two centuries. On this the last Good Friday of the second millennium, it behoves us all to consider seriously Dr Connell's plea for forgiveness and reconciliation. It is to be hoped that it may be the beginning of a new and more mature relationship between the Catholic Church and the Irish people of all denominations and of none.