Irish archbishop recalls relationship with IRA leader (Irish Times)

Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh recalled his personal ties with the late Martin McGuinness, a key leader of the Irish Republic Army, in a conversation with the Irish Times.

The archbishop says that he had mixed feelings about the death of his old acquaintance, who has been accused of direct involvement in brutal killings. “I believe that later in his life he became a strong practitioner of his faith,” he says.

Archbishop Martin says of McGuinness: “I would say he played a leading role in bringing the IRA away from the bomb and the bullet, which has to be laudable. I found it very, very difficult to praise anything done during his years in active service, if you want to use that term.”