By Ciaran Byrne
Friday April 02 2010
ABUSE survivors believe Cardinal Sean Brady is positioning himself to hang on to his job, despite widespread calls for him to quit as head of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Victim Marie Collins spoke out yesterday as Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, in a Holy Thursday homily, increased pressure on under-fire bishops to resign by repeating his call for church leaders to take responsibility.
Dr Brady has said he would spend Easter Week considering his position over his role in silencing abuse victims in 1975 — but his stance appears to be hardening in favour of staying put. And several abuse survivors, including Ms Collins, believe the prospect of Dr Brady offering his resignation is remote. Ms Collins, who asked Dr Brady to step aside with “honour” when she met him in Armagh on Wednesday, told the Irish Independent that the cardinal was not the same man who was full of regret and apologies in his St Patrick’s Day homily.
Regret
She said: “He did not express any feelings of regret about what happened in 1975, that anything had been done in error. I do not get the impression he is thinking of stepping down.”
In a powerful homily at the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, Dr Martin said he did not believe in “fast-track healing”, adding pointedly, “the sins of the past still had to be addressed before people could move on. There is no short cut in addressing the past.”
Ms Collins said Dr Martin’s comments underlined the need for auxiliary Dublin bishops Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field to resign along with Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan, who is a former auxiliary bishop of Dublin. Dr Martin told the Pro-Cathedral congregation: “There can be no overlooking the past. The credibility of the church in this diocese of Dublin will only be regained when we honestly recognise the failures of the past, whatever our share of responsibility for them. There can be no rewriting history.
“We see how damaging failure of integrity and authenticity are to the Body of Christ. Shameful abuse took place within the Church of Christ. The response was hopelessly inadequate.”
Dr Martin said young people were the key to the process of renewal and moving forward.
“Many say to me — especially young people — that they have lost confidence in and even reject what they call ‘the church as an institution’ but that they still hold and cherish the message of Jesus.
“But where do they turn to find that message? They will not find it in popular culture. They will not keep it, hoping that their knowledge of Jesus acquired as a child or in school will keep their faith alive as they face the challenges of adult life.”
– Ciaran Byrne
Irish Independent
As you have so often ‘said’ to me Maritn………???????
I don’t know why Marie Collins expects Brady et al to be contrite. Does she really believe they are NORMAL adult men, underneath all that pompous arrogance? If she does, then she’s as deluded as they are. No offence Marie, but you’re flogging a dead horse.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is quoted (in this article) as saying:-
“But where do they turn to find that message? They will not find it in popular culture. They will not keep it, hoping that their knowledge of Jesus acquired as a child or in school will keep their faith alive as they face the challenges of adult life.”
Well, if Jesus’s message is Love and Charity, the last place they’ll find that is in the institution that is the Catholic Church. That’s for sure!
No sign of the failed mail yesterday MM
She said: “He did not express any feelings of regret about what happened in 1975, that anything had been done in error. I do not get the impression he is thinking of stepping down.”
That is beacuse HE AND HIS ILK BELIEVE WHAT THEY DO IS ACTUALLY OK.!!!!!!!!
It is actually written in their ancient “sacred texts” that the patriarch is allowed UNDER THEIR LAW to rape women and children.
Women and children are chattels- that’s all- and those words are still used in courts of law.
Women and children “had no souls” either according to the old patriarchs once upon a time…..and this was how they could treat them AS CATTLE- to be used, sold as slaves etc.
The answer to the future lies in the past and our learning the truth of it. That is why HIS-STORY was re written by the men of god.
I’ve a funny feeling the boys in the Vatican sided with Brady and his ilk. I don’t think they were impressed with Martin getting their instructions wrong by actually doing what they claimed (in public)they wanted him to do.
Go “clean up” the Church in Ireland meant bury the files and polish the image.
Sure The Lord between us and all harm. We’ve a duty to protect the Pope. Haven’t we? Paddy.