Archbishop Martin calls for prayers for Paris victims

The events in Paris are a “horrific example of what fundamentalism can do and what happens when religion is distorted for ideological reasons”, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said.

In a homily at the pro-Cathedral in Dublin on Saturday morning, he called for prayers at all Masses across Dublin this weekend, for those who had died in Paris and for those who mourned them.

"Pope Benedict went so far as to say that 'the pathology of religion is the most dangerous sickness of the human spirit'.

"St Laurence O'Toole, whose feast day we celebrate today, was a European peace-maker in his time, an Irish bishop who died in France on a mission to the Norman king to secure peace for his native Dublin. We remember those who died last night and those who mourn them and we share in the grief of the entire city of Paris."

Speaking to journalists after the Mass, Dr Martin said society must seek to understand why such atrocities could take place in a "modern, neighbouring city".

“If there are religious elements motivating people who do this, we as believers have to say, ‘Enough’. There is no way you can do anything of this kind in the name of God. We have to think of those young people who are being dragged into conflict for various reasons, to try and understand what is it that drags them into it, and try and broaden their horizons. “

He said there could also be a “secularist fundamentalism” that “fails to understand what people are looking for in faith...The more people are marginalised in any way the more they will [be drawn to extremism]”.

He warned, however, that the attacks should not be used to further marginalise and exclude sectors of society, or to exclude people fleeing religious fundamentalism in the Middle East and north Africa.

"This is taking place at time in which political leaders and society in general in Europe is facing a huge crisis of movement of people, of people who are fleeing persecution in their countries. We have to learn to show solidarity and to make sure any signs of hostility to migrants, that we give no space to it.

“These are people who are fleeing from terrible persecution and we shouldn’t let any event like this change our attitudes. These people who are coming to Europe are fleeing from exactly the kind of thing that happened in Paris.”

Asked if he would be concerned about the impact on inter-faith relations, he said the mainstream Churches were “absolutely clear”.

"I know that here in Ireland the Muslim and Jewish and Christian leaders are all united on this but we have to show that and we have to fight against any type of fundamentalism." He warned there could be fundamentalism even among members of the Catholic community.

A book of condolences is being opened in the pro-Cathedral, the fourth to be opened this year. A spokeswoman said there usually would be one a year.

The other three this year have been for the 11 people who died in the attack on the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris in January, the six young Irish people who died in the Berkeley balcony collapse in July, and for the 10 people who died at a fire in a temporary halting site in Carrickmines, Dublin in October.

“All of us, when something like this happens ask what we can do,” said Dr Martin. “We can do two things - we can pray and we can show some kind of solidarity, especially for those who mourn and who are in trauma. “