Better screening for priesthood needed to attract the right candidates, says Archbishop of Dublin

Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin, acknowledged that better admission standards are needed to attract new priests.

Martin issued a statement to RTE Radio's Morning Ireland on Thursday regarding the issues facing the Maynooth seminary. The Trustees of the National Seminary ordered a review of the usage of social media by priests-in-training after allegations were made that some of the trainees used Grindr, a dating app for gay people.

"Maynooth is not to be condemned but it is not to be canonized either," Martin told RTE. He added that the seminary has to change, "not just because of current allegations but because of the fact that we are living in a different world."

"I've never criticized the teaching in Maynooth, this is something people have said is behind my activity. That isn't what I've been talking about at all," the archbishop added.

The trustees released a statement on Wednesday asking for a review of policies on whistle-blowing and policies regarding the use of the internet and social media. The trustees also asked the Bishops' Conference for an independent audit of governance in the seminaries. They also called for a standard national policy for admissions and the introduction of a pre-seminary year for applicants to the priesthood.

Dominican priest Fr. Gerard Dunne agreed with Martin and told the Irish Independent that Martin is currently seeking a standardization of admissions procedures for all dioceses.

"In my experience, this process has been haphazard in the past. Different dioceses in Ireland employ different assessment methods – some are rigorous, others not so," Dunne said.

Dunne added that candidates should experience life in the parish and have at least a year of discernment with a vocations director.

Martin told RTE that seminaries will continue to exist but the preparation of priests will go beyond the walls of the seminary. He added that training for priesthood should take part in realities where there are variations in religious culture.