The Irish Times – Thursday, October 7, 2010
PADDY AGNEW in Rome
THE HOLY See has said the senior churchmen who will shortly visit Ireland as part of an “Apostolic Visitation” will “give particular attention to victims of abuse”.
In a statement issued last night by the Holy See press office, the Vatican expressed the hope that “this significant endeavour” (the visitation) will serve as an “instrument of healing for the Church in Ireland” which will help “restore the trust and hope of the faithful”.
The Vatican communique said: “Mindful of the tragic abuse of children that has taken place in Ireland . . . the visitors will give particular attention to victims of abuse and their families, but will also meet with and listen to a variety of people, including ecclesiastical authorities, lay faithful and those involved with the crucial work of the safeguarding of children.”
Asked whether this meant the visitors would be meeting victims and their families, a church spokesman said “there is no further detail in relation to it (the visitation) yet”.
The statement pointed out that the Curia met with the four designated archdiocesan visitors – English Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor (Armagh), Boston Cardinal Seán O’Malley (Dublin), Toronto Archbishop Christopher Collins (Cashel) and Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast (Tuam) – on Tuesday, prior to meeting with the Irish bishops yesterday.
When meeting with the four Irish prelates yesterday – Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop Dermot Clifford and Archbishop Michael Neary – the visitors and senior figures from the Congregation of Bishops and the Secretariat of State “summarised the discussions from the previous day and focused on the organisation of the Apostolic Visitation” in a spirit of “fraternal warmth and mutual collaboration”, the statement read.
Earlier in the day, Cardinal Brady had offered an upbeat assessment of this week’s meetings when talking briefly to journalists, saying: “As you know, the Holy Father announced this Apostolic Visitation last March in his pastoral letter to the Irish. He said then that he did that after consultation with ourselves and that the visit would be carried out in co-operation with the Irish bishops. And that’s the work that is going on now. The emphasis now is on the journey to renewal. We hope that it will help in some way, that journey towards renewal. It was a very good and positive meeting [today]. . . ”
Cardinal Brady, who was accompanied by Archbishop Dermot Clifford, said that the meeting had been very “cordial and helpful”, whilst Archbishop Clifford said that one of the objectives of the visitation would be to “assist us in our pastoral programme for the future, with regard to safeguarding children and in healing those who have been abused by priests”.
Kathleen O’ Malley I have read and re read your book and I agree that what happened to you was an absolute disgrace. I agree those nuns were wicked and the people who covered for them etc. however, I am Catholic, I believe in Christ and I must defend His church. The whole of the Catholic Church can not be judged as bad and grout down simply because of the actions of some. This is how satan wants it to be.
Well said Kathleen. Just who if any are these people going to meet with?
John.
They wouldn’t dare, meet up with us because they are bullies and the Chips are down. They will I guess (if at all) meet up with Survivors who are not mentally or physcially strong enough to confront them due to all the Brain washing.
LET US NONE THE LESS BE A BIG THORN IN THEIR SIDES FOR NOW. THE WORLD KNOWS A LITTLE OF WHAT WENT ON. ONLY WE KNOW THE TRUE EXTENT OF THEIR CRIMINALITY. WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE WE FIGHT BACK.
DON’T GIVE UP.
Kathleen O’Malley.
well kathleen i dont think that the likes of you and i will never meet these so called investagaters.who have all survivers heads f,,up.i would for one would love to meet them and tell them how i feel about the abuce i went through with 5 so called christan brothers
Who will these so called men of the cloth meet with. I for one would like to put my name forward and meet with them.
Let us demand this by supporting Paddy”s website. When the demand is so high they will have to conform.
Paddy, you have my permission to pass this on to Joe at RTE.
Come on everyone lets challenge them.
Kathleen O’Malley.
In fact, quite simply the involvement of Irish citizen Sean Brady gives a fair indication of exactly what type of ‘whitewash’ this is going to be.
Corrupt organisations never pick investigators who would actually pose a threat to them. As any reasonably corrupt strategy goes, it is wiser to pick persons who have been in on the crime to copper fasten the coverup.
kathleen reckons they should be brought to court my a.i had two in court wasent belived what i said in my evedance.no matter u do u will never win them and the goverment.we will see no justice in our lifetime.i will bring what happned to me in st josephs salthill galway.my dads last words to me on his death bed was sorry.i knew what he ment.i replied wasent your fault.could go on ages but i wont.
the cover up should mean that they are unfit to judge the situation . So the catholic church members who will do their best to give the impression that they are not the same guys as they were 10 years ago. any investigating should be done by people outside the catholic church. after all what qualifies these guys for the job .they will protect themselves.the Pope John Pau l2 know what the problem was . and so does this one
The C.Church certainly appears to have lost Street Cred. They did nothing until now, it has taken 9 years for them to apologise. Something big has made them do this. Lets take some of the CREDIT for their failings.
they are worried.
We have exposed their atrocious behaviour.
Mud sticks. No amount of washing will cleanse them now. The evil ones amongst them are plain filth.
We should be proud of what we have achieved in in exposing and standing up to them and their bulling.
Kathleen O’Malley.
FXR is right! They believe that their Boss actually Speak Gods Words on Earth? They believe are above the Law!
HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE RECOVERED AND ARE WELL AGAIN PADDY , LOOKS TO ME THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HERE IS COLLAPSING, HENCE THIS VISIT.
The message here is: The Vatican is the supreme authority so you can have as many pesky local investigations as you like. They don’t mean anything to the Great Sky God’s representatives in Rome.
The Vatican will investigate the Vatican and the Vatican will decide the results.
The whole world can call for the resignation of a Bishop and it won’t make any difference.
The world is meant to listen to the Vatican, not the other way around.
They should be prosecuted and sentenced in a Court of Law.
Irish Catholics it is time you started thinking for yourselves and stop following like SHEEP. You are being preached to by unworthy persons.
The proof is out there . Look into your computer log on to “Commission into Child Abuse” and “The Dioceses Report”.
Opening ones mind is a great revelation.
Kathleen O’Malley.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the Mafia investigating the Mafia. Four doddery old men covering up for the “heinous crimes” of the “brothers and sisters” in the religious life. I say……run these guys out of the country and quickly. Paddy.
For what it’s worth, I believe Cardinal Sean Brady should not be involved in any of this. He should resign. Do they honestly think we could have trust in him? I know I cannot trust any of them.
Clifford seems to want the focus taken away from what was revealed in the Ryan Report – which catalogued the torture of children by Religious Orders: Christian Brothers. Nuns and priests.
Who could ever TRUST Priests or Nuns in the Catholic Church. The recruitement drive by the Pope was clearly not as successdul as hoped. Would you, knowing the abuse carried out on us by the above would allow them to supervise your children.
They first must have known Criminals, Paedophiles and Nuns who committed domestic Violence etc on us be arrested and charged in a Court of Law. Then perhaps they will be taken seriously.
Kathleen O’Malley.