The backlash against Conor McGregor's White House visit on St. Patrick's Day continues, with the Association of Catholic Priests joining the chorus of disapproval over McGregor's meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris - who slammed McGregor by saying "he doesn't speak for Ireland" - and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre have all voiced their criticism of the encounter in recent days, and now the Association of Catholic Priests (ACAP) has added its perspective with a statement released on Wednesday.
"As people who cherish both our Irishness and our Faith, we wish to assert unequivocally that Mr. Conor McGregor's speech in the Oval Office, where he claimed to be speaking on behalf of the Irish people, did not reflect what we value and hold dear. We believe that he confuses personal opinions with truth," the statement read.
"The sentiments expressed by Mr. McGregor in his White House speech regarding migrants and refugees contradict our understanding of Jesus' message.
"His views starkly contrast those of the newly appointed Cardinal Archbishop of Washington, Robert McElroy, who stated: 'Our truth is the person of Jesus Christ. The task of a Christian is to notice that Jesus' first instinct is not to judge or condemn but to embrace people, to assist them with whatever issue they're dealing with, and to address the different elements of woundedness or exclusion they have in their lives."
The statement concluded: "The reasons for inviting Mr. McGregor to the White House on our national holiday are to be questioned. We wish it to be known that he did not represent us."
McGregor's stint at the White House during St. Patrick's Day, which followed the Taoiseach's meeting with the Oval Office by five days, sparked a storm due to his pre and post engagement commentary, especially on immigration matters, reports the Irish Mirror.
Before his meeting with Trump at the White House, McGregor announced: "I am here to raise the issues that the people of Ireland face. It will be music to the people of Ireland's ears because never on the main stage has the issues the people of Ireland face been spoken."
He critiqued the Irish leadership, stating: "Our government has long since abandoned the voice of the people of Ireland, and it's high time that America is made aware of what is going on in Ireland. What is going on in Ireland is a travesty, our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability."
McGregor then tackled financial policies and immigration, declaring: "Our money is being spent on overseas issues which has nothing to do with the Irish people; the illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country."
In response, the Taoiseach rebuffed McGregor's comments, asserting, "St. Patrick's Day around the world is a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship and fellowship. Conor McGregor's remarks are wrong, and do not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, or the views of the people of Ireland."
Responding to those comments after his Oval Office visit with Trump, McGregor stated: "I am an employer of over 200 people, almost 300 people, in the country of Ireland. He is an employer of none. Every available metric available to us shows that the government of Ireland currently has failed the people of Ireland.
"In 10 years, Dublin City Centre has gone from one of the safest cities in Europe to one of the most to one of the most dangerous, so shame on him for saying that, speaking down on an Irishman.
"I won't speak about him personally or throw a jab; I could throw many jabs at him, I could throw jabs handily at them; however, I speak on the metrics, and the metrics show they have failed the people of Ireland they do not represent the people of Ireland."
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre expressed its concern over McGregor's White House meeting with President Trump. CEO Rachel Morrogh referred to the event as "very sinister event."
Last November, McGregor was deemed liable in a civil lawsuit brought by Nikita Hand, who accused him of rape, resulting in a €248,603 damages award against him.
Speaking with RTÉ on Tuesday, Ms Morrogh remarked: "Yesterday's meeting was a very sinister event and it needs to be called out for what I believe it was, which on one hand was normalising sexual violence, and on the other hand an attempt to rebuild the very damaged reputation of Conor McGregor.
"What is sobering and shocking is that the office of the president of the US, which is so respected and trusted and esteemed, is being used for both of those things. And on St Patrick's Day, that office was used to launder Conor McGregor's reputation. Every backslap, every word of flattery, every aspect of that meeting showed a really callous indifference to every survivor of sexual violence," the statement noted.
"Much of what he says is unacceptable and this is something that we saw coming, it's just one of a number of examples of President Trump putting public energy into restoring the status of strong and powerful men who have been accused of different forms of sexual violence and assault," Ms Morrogh added.
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"He is sending a message that sexual violence is something he is trivialising and the road to redemption leads straight to the Oval Office.
"There has been a really strong reaction amongst the Irish public that this is not something they agree with, and I hope that yesterday's performance doesn't have a chill effect on people coming forward.
"It has taken decades to create a supportive climate for survivors to share what happened to them. Yesterday's events will confirm suspicions and fears that survivors have around not being believed and believe what happened was their fault."
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