Michael Moynihan
Question:128. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Taoiseach the contact he has had with religious leaders recently. [39805/18]
View answerTuesday, 2 October 2018
Questions (128)
Written answers
I recently met with Pope Francis during his visit to Dublin Castle on Saturday 25th August. The meeting provided an opportunity for both of us to discuss a number of issues, though regrettably not in any great depth because of the short duration of the meeting.
On 22nd January 2018 I met with representatives of the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches in a formal meeting under the structured dialogue process between Church and State. This was the second in a series of meetings that I will be holding with dialogue partners. We discussed important social and economic issues facing Irish society as well as International issues.
On 31 August 2017, I held a formal meeting under the structured dialogue process with representatives of the Catholic Church, led by Archbishop Eamon Martin. A wide ranging discussion took place on a range of important national and international issues.
Some of the issues we discussed at these meetings were challenging. They are issues on which people have deeply held views and which are matters of conscience. Our discussions were valuable, not just because they dealt with important issues, but particularly because they were conducted in an atmosphere of respect for the views of others, where everyone sought to be constructive.
Like public representatives generally, I meet church leaders informally from time to time in the course of attending official or public events. In particular, with the recent visit of Pope Francis, I attended a number of events that were also attended by representatives from various religious groups