Martin asks Pope Leo XIV to press Irish religious orders on abuse redress

“I asked that every effort would be made to get the religious orders to engage proactively on the matter of redress,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin said after raising the issue with Pope Leo XIV during a Vatican meeting, the Irish Times reported. ^[1]

Martin met Pope Leo at the Vatican on Friday morning, May 22, 2026, arriving with his wife, Mary O’Shea. ^[1] During the encounter, he pressed the pope to put pressure on religious orders in Ireland to come forward with redress for survivors of sexual abuse. ^[1]

Martin also said he offered practical help on another front, telling the pope he had “offered the assistance of Irish officials who had experience with the Northern Ireland peace process in any work that the Vatican is involved in, in terms of conflict resolution.” ^[1]

The meeting marked the latest development in a diplomatic visit centered on Martin’s engagement with Pope Leo at the Vatican on May 22. ^[1]