Press Releases10 May 04

Extract of Sermon by Archbishop Neill at St John's, Sandymount

"OUR MORAL DEFICIT IN IRELAND"

Extract from a sermon by
The Most Revd Dr. J.R.W. Neill, Archbishop of Dublin
at
St. John's Sandymount, Dublin
on
Sunday 9 May 2004

The moral motivation for any action is of great importance. In this country we get very anxious about the moral implications of personal sexual morality, often giving the impression that morality is simply about sexual behaviour.

Last year, there were many questions raised by politicians and church leaders as to the motivation for the war in Iraq. The main protagonists did make some attempt to provide a morally valid reason for going to war, even though that justification now lies in tatters.

The sad thing is that in this country there was no attempt whatever to provide moral justification for the use of Shannon Airport in the war effort. Instead we are still hearing that to do otherwise than to give tacit support to the war would not have been in our economic interests. Is morality now merely a matter of economics? This failure to address a serious moral dilemma reflects badly on our claim to be a moral society in Ireland. We are obsessed with certain sins, but blind to the fact that far greater issues press upon us.

This is our moral deficit.