The Catholic primate Archbishop Seán Brady has spoken of a crisis in modern Irish society which led some people to ask had Ireland lost its soul.
He said "there is a 'crisis of meaning' in our midst and it has serious and practical consequences for individuals and for communities."
There was, he said, a growing sense that those elements of the historic Irish soul, such as "a sense of the sacred, a deep respect for creation, a sense of spiritual balance, of the importance of community, of hospitality, of solidarity with others, especially the vulnerable and the weak, and the importance of belonging to a specific people and place" were "under threat on a scale and in a way unprecedented in the history of the Irish people".
So much so, he said, "that many people are even beginning to ask the question, 'Has Ireland lost its soul? Have we lost our spiritual and moral bearings? Have we thrown out the best of the old for the worst of the new?'"
Archbishop Brady was speaking in a homily at a Trinity Sunday Mass in Duiske Abbey at Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny, yesterday.
He said "the evidence of this loss of spiritual direction, of this collective fragmentation of the Irish soul is evident in various and, in spiritual terms, in very classic ways. It is evident in a loss of courtesy and respect in human relations, in an increase in violence and aggression generally, in a loss of the sense of responsibility for and participation in the common good.
"In its most extreme and painful form . . . it becomes manifest in an alienation from life itself. For some, this alienation can take the form of self-harm or, ultimately, suicide. Suicide is a complex and a sensitive issue, but it is difficult not to notice that the recent dramatic increase in suicide rates has coincided with a breakdown in spiritual direction and practice, in community cohesion and social stability.
"Recent figures reveal that 444 people aged 15 to 24 took their lives last year, compared to 293 who died in road accidents. By any standards this is an urgent issue of serious public and political concern, which deserves and demands the same effort and resources from Government, health care and pastoral organisations as other life-care issues such as reducing road deaths".
Dr Brady said responding to the crisis meant "accepting that the spiritual life of a nation, its system of values, traditions and beliefs, are just as essential to its success and cohesion as the pursuit of wealth or of individual freedom. It means establishing a mature and constructive dialogue between the Church, the other sources of spiritual and religious life in our country, other elements of civic society, the Government and the media."