Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime on Christmas Eve, reflecting on the meaning of the holiday and discussing a number of issues facing the Catholic Church in 2015.

Archbishop Martin reflected on his first Christmas as Primate of All Ireland, saying "it is a time when all of us reach inwards and reach inside and reflect again on what we're all about... it's a beautiful time of the year for all of us."

He also discussed the falling numbers of clergy members around the country, observing "we're seeing laypeople beginning to play their own part in their own community and their own churches much more."

The Archbishop reflected on the case before the High Court of the clinically dead pregnant woman, and also addressed the upcoming referendum on same-sex marriage.

He says the referendum is asking to "redefine marriage", and that the Church "has a voice" in the debate around the referendum. He adds "we're not the only voice, nor should we be, but we have an important voice I hope in any mature public debate."

"We believe it is good for children, good for family and good for society to preserve the uniqueness of marriage as we've traditionally understood it," he added, and stressed the need to discuss these matters in a respectful way.

You can listen back to the interview below: