A blanket portrayal of the Church as a negative factor in Irish society would be "inherently dangerous", according to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. Paddy Agnew reports from Rome
Speaking to a gathering of the Irish religious community at the Irish Embassy to the Holy See in Rome last night, the Taoiseach paid tribute to the role of the Irish Catholic Church in challenging "modern individualism".
The Taoiseach met representatives of the Irish religious community yesterday afternoon. In his address at the Irish Embassy, Mr Ahern acknowledged that the prevailing mood amongst religious orders in Ireland in recent years has "been one of despondency".
While underlining the "horrendous toll of hurt and anger experienced by individuals directly affected" by cases of clerical sex-abuse and other Church-related scandals, the Taoiseach warned against "tarring everyone with the same brush" and thus overlooking the enormous good work of Irish religious orders, in Ireland and the wider world.
Ireland's economic prosperity, he said, did not come about by a "mere wave of a wand" but was rather "painstakingly nurtured" over decades.
Foremost among those who nurtured that prosperity through their contribution to education and health were the religious communities of Ireland.
Those same communities now find themselves in difficulty in today's Ireland, with vocations plummeting in the context of a "bewildering, even hostile" society of increasing affluence and individualism.
Yet, argued the Taoiseach, Ireland will only progress if "we continue to respect the values that enable us to grow as a society".
In that context, the religious have a "key role" to play in modern Ireland, underpinning a new spirit of solidarity.
"Any blanket portrayal of the Church as a negative force in our society therefore, is not only misleading, but also inherently dangerous.
"Genuine pluralism means enabling various points of view to be heard and respected, religious and secular alike."
He said the religious in Ireland had "a vital role to play" in working for social justice.
"They have a prophetic role to challenge the modern individualism that threatens to undermine our society. It is they who contribute to signposting our future development."
Ireland must not be blinded by material wealth, he added.