Archbishop Eamon Martin has said the 200th anniversary of Catholic Emancipation which will take place in 2029, is an opportunity to re-engage and educate a modern public with the Church’s key role in Irish history.
‘I think Catholic Emancipation provides a very useful backdrop for us to examine the role of the Catholic Church in Ireland, because 200 years on, we’re actually coming to the end of that chapter, where the Church is now no longer a dominant player in Ireland, the Catholic Church no longer dominates debate. It no longer has the same kind of position or status, or, dare I say, power, that it may have had in the past.
‘And therefore, that leads us to really ask ourselves, as a church, you know, where are we now? We’re a much smaller voice, and yet a significant voice at this time.’ The Primate made the comments in an interview with The Mail On Sunday.
