Archbishop recalls being the subject of a ‘violent’ protest against masks

ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN has expressed concern that anti-mask protesters are misusing Catholicism to make others in society uncomfortable.

Martin issued a statement last night criticizing protesters who were part of a group that he said “tried to overturn” his car at the Eid al-Adha celebration in Croke Park earlier this year.

He was one of the religious leaders who gave speeches at the first Muslim festival celebration at the site in July.

Over the past few weekends, several demonstrations against masks and Covid restrictions have taken place in Dublin, as well as other counties.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime tonight, Martin recalled how he was greeted by a group of people “yelling, yelling, [and] hitting ”his car when he arrived at Croke Park for the celebration.

“Someone saw me, and they immediately surrounded the car and beat it, pushed it, yelled and got in the way, being quite insulting and violent,” he explained.

Martin said he was not concerned for his own safety at the time, because the Gardaí were present, but expressed concern about how those protests were affecting Muslims and immigrants in Irish society.

He suggested that the protesters were motivated “very clearly” by a “far-right ideology” because of their attitudes towards immigrants and people of different faiths.

“What worried me, and why I mentioned it last night, is not about what happened to me; But there is a trend that should concern us all. We must neither tolerate nor tolerate religious intolerance, ”he said.

“These people, who are present in all kinds of events and protests, there is a level of negativity and violence and they are generating fear and anti-immigration. [sentiment], and at the moment we don’t need negativity and fear. “

The archbishop also spoke about his decision to issue a statement last night, more than two months after the celebration took place in Croke Park.

“I feel like I can say something, and I should say something,” he said.

“I don’t want these people to take their religion and Catholicism to other negative sides of our society. People need something very different. I’m always afraid of negativity and people who use violence in that way …

“Anyone who begins to put an ideology that keeps people away from responsible behavior is becoming a danger to society.”