Pope Is Slammed over Vague Abuse Response, The Irish Post, June 24, 2009

Pope Is Slammed over Vague Abuse Response

The Irish Post
June 24, 2009

http://www.irishpost.co.uk/tabId/550/itemId/3802/Pope-is-slammed-over-vague-abuse-response.aspx

SURVIVORS of Ireland’s child abuse scandal have reacted with dismay at what is being widely interpreted as the Pope’s first official comments on the controversy.

They said the reference in a letter to priests across the world was too vague to have real meaning — with one group calling it a pathetic attempt at a statement.

It came as they continued to call for the perpetrators of the crimes to be named and garda action taken against them.

In his letter issued to announce a Year for Priests, Pope Benedict praised the role of priests — but appeared to give less than 100 words of the 4,250word document to the issue of abuse in Ireland.

He wrote: “There are also, sad to say, situations which can never be sufficiently deplored where the Church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of her ministers.

“Then it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection.”

He added that what was most helpful to the Church in such cases was a frank and complete acknowledgment of the weaknesses of her ministers as well as noting the good work of faithful priests.

Vatican commentators took the passage to refer to the publication of the Ryan Report in Ireland detailing the catalogue of abuses endured by youngsters in Church institutions.

But Christine Buckley of the Aislinn survivors support group said if it was meant as a definitive statement on the subject it was pathetic.

She said: “He doesn’t mention children, or abuse, or Ireland so I would take it with a grain of salt. I do worry that the language is so vague.

“If you have the head of the Catholic Church trying to conceal rather than reveal and acknowledge the wrongs done — what sort of example is that giving to his flock of priests?”

The Pope’s statement came as the Labour Party published a private members’ bill seeking to amend the legislation that set up the Child Abuse Commission and the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

The bill proposes widening the Redress Board’s responsibility to include survivors who were living abroad and missed the application deadline, who were committed to institutions excluded from the scheme for no clear reason or who were aged up to 21 when they were committed to institutions.

It also proposed scrapping the gagging order which prevents survivors speaking about their dealings with the Redress Board and provides for the appointment by the Government of an independent auditor to assess the wealth of the religious orders chiefly responsible for the abuse.

Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte said it was still far from clear what the orders were planning to do about contributing further to the cost of supporting survivors. He said: “I have not seen anything in writing that forensically sets out what they are proposing to do.

“They are sorry and they apologise and they accept their contribution was inadequate but I still don’t know what they are going to do.”