"Canon law, which favors abusers over abused, has contributed in a malign way. In future, there can be no ambiguity concerning criminal acts and church cover-ups that pervert the course of justice. These offences are equally unacceptable.Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is to be commended for making diocesan files available to the commission against the wishes of his predecessor. But a studied silence by Vatican authorities and by the Apostolic Nuncio to recent requests from the Murphy commission for any additional information they might hold concerning child sexual abuse in Dublin will feed suspicion that the church remains fixated on protecting its tattered image."
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/1127/1224259545409.htmlBishops covered up priests child abuse
Read the complete Editorial in today's Irish Times regarding the latest report
on abuse by priests in Ireland. The Murphy report itself contains grim evidence of
an appalling legacy of abuse. If you want to read the Murphy Report, you'll find the
link on the RHS of the home page http://www.justice.ie/
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_IRELAND_CATHOLIC_ABUSE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-11-26-18-12-53
November 26, 2009
Experts: Bishops covered up priests' child abuse
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK
Associated Press Writer
Associated Press Writer
EXCERPT:
"Roman Catholic Church leaders in Dublin spent decades sheltering child-abusing priests from the law and most fellow clerics turned a blind eye, an investigation ordered by Ireland's government concluded Thursday. ... investigators found, successive archbishops and their senior deputies - among them qualified lawyers - already had compiled confidential files on more than 100 parish priests who had sexually abused children since 1940. Those files had remained locked in the Dublin archbishop's private vault."
My Comment:
When will the Catholic family, the people of God, say "enough is enough"? This is our church! When will the people refuse to allow church leaders to cover up criminal activity of their clergy? When will the Irish state stop treating the Catholic church with deference?
We, the people of God, are the church. All of us are equals by our baptism.
It is our beloved family that has been torn apart by these clergy crimes and by the bishops' cover-ups.I hope the anger generated by this appalling cover-up by the Dublin hierarchy, will lead people of Ireland to a tipping point- a call to action.
What can be done?
We must change the clerical culture and empower the people of God in local communities with oversight review and decision-making power in the Roman Catholic Church. Christ calls all of us to be disciples to live the Gospel. Therefore, we are all co-responsible for the welfare of the Catholic family. In my view, it is also time to reclaim our ancient Celtic tradition of women priests and married priests in a more open, transparent, inclusive Catholic church, where all are welcome and all are accountable. Let us look to the partnership model set by St. Brigit and Bishop Conleth who co-administered the large Kildare monastic community.
Bridget Mary Meehan, rcwp
sofiabmm@aol.com
www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org
My Comment:
When will the Catholic family, the people of God, say "enough is enough"? This is our church! When will the people refuse to allow church leaders to cover up criminal activity of their clergy? When will the Irish state stop treating the Catholic church with deference?
We, the people of God, are the church. All of us are equals by our baptism.
It is our beloved family that has been torn apart by these clergy crimes and by the bishops' cover-ups.I hope the anger generated by this appalling cover-up by the Dublin hierarchy, will lead people of Ireland to a tipping point- a call to action.
What can be done?
We must change the clerical culture and empower the people of God in local communities with oversight review and decision-making power in the Roman Catholic Church. Christ calls all of us to be disciples to live the Gospel. Therefore, we are all co-responsible for the welfare of the Catholic family. In my view, it is also time to reclaim our ancient Celtic tradition of women priests and married priests in a more open, transparent, inclusive Catholic church, where all are welcome and all are accountable. Let us look to the partnership model set by St. Brigit and Bishop Conleth who co-administered the large Kildare monastic community.
Bridget Mary Meehan, rcwp
sofiabmm@aol.com
www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org
No comments:
Post a Comment