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Victims Call on Archbishop to Clarify His Views By Shane Hickey Irish Independent November 30, 2009 http://www.independent.ie/national-news/victims-call-on--archbishop-to-clarify-his-views-1958634.html ABUSE victims said last night they were disappointed Archbishop Diarmuid Martin had not made "a clear statement" on whether Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray should resign from office. Two of the most prominent figures in the battle for justice over clerical sexual abuse yesterday called for the archbishop to clarify his views on the future of Bishop Murray. Both Marie Collins and Andrew Madden said they were "very disappointed" that Dr Martin had not called on his colleague to resign. Bishop Murray was severely criticised in last week's clerical abuse report over how he handled some of the allegations. Ms Collins said the archbishop should have taken the opportunity yesterday to call for his resignation. Ms Collins was sexually assaulted by Fr Paul McGennis, chaplain in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Crumlin, when she was 12. "I can't understand why someone like the archbishop can't say that Dr Murray's position is untenable," she said. Mr Madden, who was abused by the notorious Fr Ivan Payne, said he was very disappointed with the reaction from all of the bishops yesterday. "(Bishop) Eamon Walsh and Diarmuid Martin have been two people who, prior to this, seemed as people who could be trusted and were an example of people who were looking to be open, transparent and honest. All I have seen since then is a minimisation of the Church's part in the cover-up," he said. "The bishops' insistence that they don't have to resign despite the criticism of them in this report is also very disappointing. It is what is to be expected because they are so arrogant. It is really only arrogance and ego that has them where they are." Ms Collins said there should now be investigations in dioceses around the country, especially Limerick. She dismissed claims that the work of the commission was expensive and said it was more economical than any of the tribunals. Meanwhile, Dr Martin has confirmed that the gardai were still investigating whether "a paedophile ring" of child abuser priests operated in the archdiocese of Dublin. Damning Speaking exclusively to the Irish Independent yesterday, Dr Martin said that it had been picked up wrongly that he had made this request to the gardai after the publication last Thursday of the damning report into child sex abusers in the Dublin archdiocese. "When I was collecting documents of discovery (for the commission from the archdiocese's secret files) and was examining them thoroughly, I discovered that one person was abused by two separate priests," Dr Martin said. "I told Phil Garland, then the head of the diocesan child protection office, to ask the garda explicitly to investigate this matter." The Murphy report found "no direct evidence" of a paedophile ring but found "worrying connections" between a number of priests. |
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