Letters to the Editor. Irish Examiner.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
WITH the publication of the Pope’s letter concerning abuse by religious orders in Ireland imminent, may I ask people who have been so supportive of survivors of abuse in the past once again to show their solidarity with us by engaging in some form of protest in their church as the pontiff’s letter is being read.
For many years, vulnerable children were raped, buggered and punished in a most brutal way. Many remain emotionally and psychologically damaged, fragile people ignored by the hierarchical ladder of the Catholic Church.
Cardinal Ratzinger, prior to his election as Pope, instructed all bishops around the world to treat reports of child sexual abuse with the “utmost secrecy”.
The perpetrators of what Pope Benedict has described as “heinous crimes” were priests, Christian brothers and nuns. The victims were children.
We have a moral obligation to send a clear message of abhorrence to religious orders that we are not prepared to remain silent onlookers while our children are subjected to almost unimaginable acts of depravity. Having spoken to many survivors of abuse, it’s clear the secrecy engaged in by the church on the instigation of the Pope has been a cause of great hurt, pain and emotional abuse. By engaging in a protest a clear message will be sent to the Pope and to other “princes” of the church that their covering up of acts of depravity against children disgust all of us who have the welfare of children as our first priority.
Abuse thrives on secrecy. That is a lesson we have learned all too painfully over many years. To survivors of abuse, of which I am one, apologies have become meaningless. They have had to be wrenched out of the various religious orders right up to Pope Benedict.
Paddy Doyle
City West
Saggart
Co Dublin
Regards the march does anyone have any links to where it was covered in the media?
I have one in the Irish Times;
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0325/1224267012096.html
If anyone has any more links to any media reports about the march please post them here;
http://babyshoesremember.proboards.com/index.cgi
Anne
Herr Emer here.
Paddy Doyle runs this site and has as long as I’ve known him posted comments to his site as long as they are not libellous or use very bad language. He has sat in his wheelchair day after day and helped former “SURVIVORS” (if you like that title) with the grammar that is presented to him. He’s helped me and by the time this gets posted Paddy Doyle will most probably if he has the time put my full stops and my commas in for me. Don’t sit their in with your high and mighty attitude and accuse Paddy Doyle of doing things you have no right to say or you DO NOT KNOW. How do you know he took you off his facebook? If you ask me facebook is a dangerous site and should be moderated more. If your not happy with Paddy’s site as a forum for former “SURVIVORS” (if you like that term) to communicate with each other, why don’t you Anne’s take the High road and go over to SOCA Irelands website or Anne, try Christine Buckleys site. Both up and running, Google them why don’t ya. And BTW Anne, Paddy pays for his website out of his own pocket. If your not happy around here contact the department of education (If they will answer the phone that is) and get yerself a Grant and run yer own website and sit there and Pontificate
Why shouldn’t I mention the numbers of people turning up for the march. TV, radio and the newspapers did that. I didn’t want Barry or Hanora to fail, why would I do that, it would be silly. I didn’t cancel you from facebook, I removed myself from it because I got a virus called ‘koobface’ a sort of anagram from of Facebook. That is the only reason I left Facebook, I did not and would not cancel you from facebook without telling you. I made it clear to Barry that I wanted ALL survivors of abuse to be included in any march, people abused in their own homes as well as people abused in day schools. I have Barry’s post saved as a Word document and it focuses totally on people who were in industrial schools. I was in one such school but I believe that abuse is abuse is abuse just as rape is rape and buggery is buggery and as deprivation of love is deprivation of love is just as scandalous. I made all these points to Barry in a long telephone conversation about ten days before the march.
Of course I want to support people fighting for others and that includes ALL survivors of ALL forms of abuse. It is wrong in my view to put argue that people who were abused in day schools “at least had their Mammy’s and Daddy’s to go home to”. Many, many people who have written to me privately share this view.
When you refer to John’s message, I’ve no recollection of seeing it. What I didn’t put up on the site to protect your name was your bank details, there’s lots of people ‘out there’ that will tell you and me that we must never, ever put anything relating to our bank accounts online. As to your messages being posted. Where are you getting the idea that I wouldn’t post your messages. You’ve got a lot of facts about me wrong in your message, perhaps you’d like to think again. Best wishes. Paddy.
Well paddy I’m truly surprised and also confused as to why you would mention the numbers turning up for the march yesterday?!?… It honestly feels like you wanted Barry and Hanora to fail and Im seriously questioning that? Also I have asked you in private msgs why you cancelled me from facebook 2wkg ago? And also why you never responded to my question with regards to why you wouldn’t have helped them/supported them in their fight??.. I honestly am baffled?? I also get the feeling you knew about this some week ago when you told me you had your reasons!?!.. I’d love to know them now paddy as I sure am curious!
Surely you would support or at least be happy for anyone fighting for others who don’t have the strength to themselves????.. I’m not too sure you will post this paddy?.. But it makes me sad. Sad that you work hard and help people but something is a miss here?!?!?.. I tried to reply to Johns message and noticed you never put that up. Why would you not want survivors to communicate?
I suppose this will be the last posting no doubt Paddy. Berry sad but I’m honestly thrown with your actions!
Anne
In reply to the protest.
Why bother entering the Church at all. An empty house says it all. Save your petrol or foot-ware.
Kathleen O’Malley.
Correct Paddy. The only true apology is unquestioned. Anything else is bull and what’s the other word that goes with Bull, say it. Sarts with S or C. ends with t or p. Can think of Many other words, Shall we have a competiton on who can come up with the best words for their apologies.
Anne
It’s called:
Protest the Popes visit to the UK 2010
This link should work.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=110579245625122
There is more information here including other websites and co-ordination of protests.
http://babyshoesremember.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=announcements&action=display&thread=84
Fxr, I’m trying to find your link to facebook but cannot find it?.. I would love to join that please will you let me know. Regards Anne.
Paddy I do hope you will be at the March tomorow? It would be an honour to meet you and Barry .
Who knows maybe something good will come out of this for many. We all deserve it.
Regards everyone.
Anne.
The Facebook group is called:
Protest the Popes visit to the UK 2010
http://bit.ly/c6C9LV
Barry,
May I suggest sending your excellent letter to one more international media “Deutsche Welle”,
Email: online@dw-world.de
Deutsche Welle covers nearly the whole globe.
Sieglinde
I’ve started a Facebook group this evening to begin to organise protests in the UK when Herr Ratzinger visits in September of this year.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=110579245625122
SANDIE SMITH
THE SYTEMATIC PHYSICAL,MENTAL, AND SEXUAL RAPE OF CHILDREN BY MEMBERS OF CORI IS WELL
DOCUMENTED IN THE RYAN REPORT
THE IRISH CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE MOST EVIL IN THE CATHOLIC WORLD AND YET THE IRISH PEOPLE AND POLITICANS SIT ON THERE ARSE AND DO NOTHING WHILE THEIR CHILDREN GET SEXUAL ABUSED BY THE CLERGY,
WHY ARE THEY NOT STRING THE LOT OF THEM UP FROM THE RAFTERS OF THERE CHURCHS, A WORD IN THE EAR OF POLITICIANS LOOK AT YOUR OWN FAMILY
IF YOU THINK YOUR FAMILY ARE EXEMPT FROM CATHOLIC CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE, OK, BUT IF YOU DON’T WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT????.
CHRISTY
Paddy,
The following personal letter went to CNN, New York Times, London Times, Irish Times, Washingtion Times, Der Spiegel, & BBC world service yesterday afteroon. It has now appears on most of those websites.
(Today while contemplating the audacity of Ratzinger to construct such a vacuous statement, I realise that his comments are so deeply flawed that not even the gulliple are likely to take it as representative of reality, it may work for a few weeks but that is all)
=======================================
Letter to foreign press.
View of An Irish Survivor of Abuse. 20.3.10
Currently in Ireland, there are thousands of legal cases against the church for horrific abuse that are being opposed and challenged as false.
In such cases, including mine, the church continues to use ruthless tactics to undermine victims, witnesses, destroying evidence and evading responsibility on technicalities for crimes committed in an organisation which mandated secrecy and hostility to the victim. A key stakeholder in this mandatory practice was Joseph Ratzinger. I see his letter marked ‘secret’ and bearing his name in the files relating to my own case.
Today’s apology takes the form of a soft PR exercise in which certain key dimensions are omitted and certain mis-information is presented.
In reading this apology, J Ratzinger while ‘feeling the pain and dismay’ does not appear to apologise personally or accept responsibility for the orders issued by himself or his offices to frustrate the civil authorities to prevent paedophile priests continuing over decades to brutally assault young children.
One striking statement that comes through comes in paragraph 2, he seeks to dilute blame across Irish people and the church for paedophilia and in doing so invites the reader to believe that the church is no exception in terms of per capita paedophilia, nothing is further from the truth as we have seen in the Ferns enquiry. The church is red rotten with paedophiles and will remain so.
As a former safety investigator in the transport sector, my attention is also draw very quickly to the statements relating to ‘inadequate procedures, ‘events in the past’, canonical trials by Bishops where the pope understands …’difficulty in obtaining reliable information & making the right decisions in the light of conflicting advice’.
These comments I find deeply evasive and misleading. These statements cannot be ‘squared’ with secret letters from Joseph Ratzinger mandating cover-up, a kangaroo courts system in which young children sign oaths of secrecy and failures to ‘get the right conclusions’. As Colm O’Gorman, Ferns victims, pointed out a few days ago, many of these paedophile priests would have as many as 120 child victims and it is also believed that up to 30% of those victims will be suicidal or will commit suicide. For example, in one weekend alone, I saw two Irish priests, rape at least 7 children and beat several other unconscious with blows to the head before dragging their bodies along corridors to be raped in a line up, young children that is. Following their weekend outing, they then explained directly to young children individually how they would be killed if they ever spoke about the matter. I was one of those children. One of those priests was left free to roam and did molest for up to 25 years.
In addition to all this, the ‘apology’ weighs heavily on believers to return to the faith, to look at the ‘problems’ within a much greater picture of historical contribution to the catholic faith and for paedophile priests ….that ‘Gods mercy will be available to them’. Also Lent is to be set aside especially during this ‘Year of the priest’. The letter contains deeply patronising comments reminding believers how good the church is generally and how all can be regained if one is just to engage in an innocent and ongoing act of belief in the ‘goodness of the church’. Some including myself would see this merely as stock propaganda statements.
One thing is for sure, Joseph Ratzinger’s has refused to acknowledge his role in aiding and abetting attacks on Irish children and my own 40 years of severe trauma is not part of his vision of his own responsibility. Instead he couches the whole ‘failure’ on a sort of ‘systems and procedures’ deficiency. This is the corporate language of avoidance of culpability.
As a victim, partly owing my 40 year victimhood partly to Joseph Ratzinger, I consider his letter to be evasive, misleading and offensive. No doubt, when I contact my lawyer over the coming weeks, it will be business as usual in the denial and evidence charade.
Good riddance Joseph Ratzinger and your Roman Catholic Church, you have been a scourge on my life and those of Irish People.
Yours sincerely
R Barry.
Let the do gooders and the Church goers do what they have to do.
If they can’t see by now what went on, let them wallow in their ignorance.
If they were reasonable human beings they would naturally support the Survivors.
It is degrading for Survivors to campaign for support.
After 2,000 of years of Catholicism, why should the Survivors of Abuse seek support from the Irish Catholic.
Kathleen O’Malley
Well SAID Paddy
Lets pick a Sunday in the next few weeks and when everybody goes to mass, when the priest starts the sermon/homily, everybody stand up and turn their backs to the priest as a sign of protest against the Cardinal and the Pope.
If you like the idea, please become a fan of my page on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=106438609380052#!/pages/Cardinal-Brady-Protest/106438609380052
I don’t know why there is scant emphasis placed on the everyday systematic *physical* abuse that existed in those horrific institutions. Is that sort of thing viewed as a *grey area*? From what I’ve read, children were as was the nature of their upbringing in these places subject to undernourishment,were ill clothed, suffered from the consequences of poor hygene and of course everyday casual beatings.
Had this happened in Dickensian times, we may understand. But that there are so many for which this is all living memory is someting that has to be addressed.
Hopefully I do not offend here, but if anyone does truly care about their religion, then they have to take on board that the current pope is not the good man they want him to be. He has been outrageoulsy deceitful in the worst possible way. Had any of us been so implicit in convering up something so henious, we may find ourselves in jail, deservedly. If true believers in the catholic faith choose not to accept that, then their religion does deserve all the battering that they may find comes its way soon. It is not too late for proper reparation here. Infact, moreso, the prefect time I would say.
Ratzingers letter can be read and discussed here.
http://babyshoesremember.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general
Mr John Kelly – of ‘Irish SOCA’, known supporter of the Ryan Commission, known opponent of the Ryan Commission and one of the group of people who met secretly with the bishops, known to the Murphy Commission, in Maynooth has praised Ratzinger’s letter. Also present at the secret meeting in Maynooth was Oath Giver and Note Taker Sean Brady and I’m wondering if any oaths were administered at this secret meeting, were notes taken ?
They have had to be wrenched out of the various religious orders right up to Pope Benedict.”
Exactly, like drawing blood from a stone.
These men of god are so indoctrinated and arrogant as to be unbelievable.
They do not mean one word of what they say Paddy.
I, for one will never darken the door of one of their churches again or give them a penny.
Christ said the church was within each of us, so who are these guys then?? who pretend to be men of god and somehow feel they have the right to use and abuse innocent children.
Now is the time for the Ayrish/Irish to show the world whether they support the victims or the abusers.
I agree.
Nothing but empty words to preserve the Catholic Empire.
The Pope protects the perpetrators and the victims remain collateral damage.
Sieglinde Alexander
New Mexico USA