Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: (Vigil) Josephine Duffy, (Anniv).
11.00: Tim & Bella Murray, (Anniv).
6.30: Pascal Seery, (Anniv).

As I Was Saying...

'The Dublin Report' makes for horrific reading. This three-volume work covers the period 1975-2004. It sheds some interesting light on the identity of the abusers and the sordid nature of their abuse.

The Commission examined complaints in respect of over 320 children against 46 priests, a representative sample of 102 priests within their remit. Substantially more complaints relate to boys: the ratio is 2.3 boys to 1 girl. Of the 46 cases examined, 11 priests were convicted in the criminal courts. Of the 46 cases, just one involved a false allegation. In two cases, suspicions were voiced, but no complaints were received. 11 of the 46 were members of Religious Orders. Of the 46, 14 are now dead. 24 are 'out of ministry'. The whereabouts of 2 are unknown. Nine have been laicized. 6 are still in ministry.

The Report is very clear on one point:

"Priests who abuse children are directly responsible for their actions. That responsibility cannot be transferred to their bishop."

However, it should also be recognised that the culpability of successive Archbishops, and some of their auxiliary bishops, screams out from every page. In transferring these recidivists from parish to unsuspecting parish, they were grossly irresponsible and displayed an astounding indifference to the health and welfare of children.

The verdict of the Commission is rightly damning:

The Dublin Archdiocese's pre-occupations were the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church, and the preservation of its assets. All other considerations, including the welfare of children and justice for victims, were subordinated to these priorities.

The outstanding exception was, of course, Diarmuid Martin. By placing the welfare of the victims before all else, he faced a difficult issue with a confident courage. He issued a very comprehensive, apologetic statement in the wake of this Report. This brief extract will convey some of its flavour:

The fact that the abusers were priests constituted both an offence to God and affront to the priesthood. The many good priests will share my sense of shame. I ask you to support and encourage us in our ministry at what is a difficult time. I know also that many others, especially parents, feel shocked and betrayed at what has been revealed. I hope that all of us - bishops, priests and lay persons - working together can rebuild trust by ensuring, that day after day, the Church becomes a safer environment for children.

The hurt done to a child through sexual abuse is horrific. Betrayal of trust is compounded by the theft of self esteem. The horror can last a lifetime. Today, it must be unequivocally recalled that the Archdiocese of Dublin failed to recognise the theft of childhood which survivors endured, and the diocese failed in its responses to them when they had the courage to come forward, compounding the damage done to their innocence.

For that, no words of apology will ever be sufficient. The Irish Church is fortunate to have such a leader at this time.

-Dick Lyng

Happenings

ADVENT & CHRISTMAS

The River

"Then he brought me back to the door of the temple: and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east" (Ezekiel 47,1)

The river from God's great city,
Carrying life to every desert place,
Gladdening the roots of trees,
Thrilling the hearts of birds,
Runs slurry-grey.

Dead fish float there:
Fish hued as rainbows;
Innocent fish, born to the flow,
Trusting the flow.

Small children sob in the night:
Their faces cloud the dawn.
Images of hard-faced women unsettle our waking,
Of men, cloaking devastation with counterfeit solicitude.

Side by side with them
We built Your Body up.
Channels of living water,
Conduits of unfaltering grace.

We cannot disown them
Now the dream is dead.
Scandalised by ourselves,
We lose faith in You.

The river from God's great city
Runs slurry-grey:
Deadly its flow.

But it is Your face before us
In the broken face of the world.
In the hard faces of our shame,
In the face of each tormented child.

-Padraig J. Daly.

PÁDRAIG J. DALY is an Augustinian priest working in the Archdiocese of Dublin. He has published several collections of poetry.

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