“The church in the past was extraordinarily authoritarian, in some cases one might even say abusively authoritarian, it was actually disrespectful of people’s autonomy in many ways,” Martin
said at a press briefing the week he was installed as co-adjutor of Dublin, a kind of “co-bishop” with right of succession when the incumbent retired.
Cardinal Connell hadn’t held such a meeting with the media in over a decade, and Irish Catholics were amazed at the appearance and Martin’s language. “I think we have to avoid any type of authoritarianism, and also any type of clericalism — which is some kind of closed idea of a priestly grouping that somehow or other seeks privilege rather than being there to serve the mission of the Church.”
Read article in Politics Daily by David Gibson.
The Roman Catholic church needs more people like Bishop Martin.
ALL churches do.
In fact, every organization needs them desperately.