STATEMENT OF ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN  ON ORLANDO SHOOTINGS

           “People all around the world are shocked with the news of the terrible loss of life at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.

I have asked  that in the Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses in the Archdiocese of Dublin on the coming weekend that those who died or who remain injured and all those who mourn and grieve be remembered.    Books of condolence are open at the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin for those who wish to express their grief and outrage.

People all over the world are shocked.  How do we explain that our modern society can somehow be held to ransom in successive gun attacks by individuals or small groups filed with hatred?    It could happen again and it could happen anywhere.  This time, the victims were members of the LGBT community; in other cases the victims were from the media or simply innocent by standers.  Fingers and blame are unfoundedly often hastily pointed at the entire honest Islamic community.

Any culture which gives notoriety to violence only encourages the deranged or the simply evil to attempt to repeat such actions.    As followers of Jesus Christ, Christians should work more and more to purify ourselves from all prejudice, to be in the forefront in dialogue and reconciliation and have the resolution to courageously confront those who anywhere foster violence.”   ENDS