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	Irish Church Leaders Meet Pope to Discuss Report on Child Abuse By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service June 5, 2009 http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0902601.htm VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Two top leaders of the Irish church met with Pope Benedict XVI June 5 to discuss a report by an independent commission on child abuse. Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, president of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference traveled to Rome to provide Vatican officials with information about the church in Ireland, including the impact of the commission's report, said a June 5 statement by the Irish Bishops' Conference. Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin joined the cardinal for the June 5 private papal audience. The standing committee of the Irish Bishops' Conference discussed the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse May 25, the bishops' statement said. The independent commission was established by the Irish government in 2000 to hear evidence from anyone alleged to have suffered child abuse at institutions since 1940. These institutions, funded by the state but often run by Catholic religious orders, included schools, orphanages, hospitals, children's homes and other institutions where children were in the care of nonfamily members. The report, released May 20, said a climate of fear created by pervasive, excessive and arbitrary punishment permeated most of Ireland's institutions for children and all those run for boys. During the period examined, more than 25,000 children were in the care of these institutions. More than 3,100 people testified before the commission over a nine-year period and more than 800 priests, brothers, sisters and laypeople were implicated as abusers. The 2,600-page report said sexual abuse was reported by approximately half of all those who testified before a confidential committee of the independent commission. The commission of inquiry was chaired by High Court Justice Sean Ryan and included prominent social workers, a pediatrician, a clinical psychologist and a representative of a children's charity. During the May 25 meeting of the Irish Bishops' standing committee, "Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, decided to travel to Rome to provide information to the Holy See on a number of issues regarding the Irish Church, including the impact of the Ryan report," the bishops' statement said. Cardinal Brady was joined by Archbishop Martin, "who was attending a scheduled meeting as a member of the Council of the Synod, whose purpose is to follow up on the work of the Synod of Bishops in Rome of last October," the statement said. END
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