By Jim Maceda, NBC News Correspondent
ROME -- Irish priest and theologian, Brendan Purcell, talked to NBC News' Jim Maceda about the repercussions of the recent sex abuse scandals, how his Dublin diocese is coping, and what it means for the Catholic Church at large.

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He says the church can't just put the scandal behind. "It's a bit like the Holocaust.You don't put the Holocaust behind you, but effectively, we can't allow that, while it's happened, to prevent us from doing the work we should be doing anyway. If we are priests, its to bring God to people when they feel they need something more in their lives."

In terms of the Catholic Church's future, he says they should be asking how the institution fits into the modern world. "Can we offer a message that's exciting, that's interesting? And if we can't we should close shop."

Watch the complete interview above.