BBC News
December 2, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8390761.stm
[Prime Time]
IRELAND--A Catholic bishop says he has given a "thorough response" to criticisms of him in a report into the cover-up of paedophile priests in Dublin.
The Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray, has released a statement following comments by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, on the Murphy Report.
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| Bishop Donal Murray denies trying to save his position |
Bishop Murray denies he is trying to save his position.
The Archbishop said he did not want to be in meetings with people he felt had not responded to serious situations.
Archbishop Martin had urged clergy mentioned in the report to address the issue of child protection.
Speaking on RTE's Prime Time on Tuesday, he urged them to resign or stand over their belief that they made no mistakes.
In a statement, responding to those comments, Bishop Murray has given five responses to criticisms of him in the report via three encounters with journalists and two addresses to journalists.
He said he had merely started engaging with the people and priests of his diocese about whether his ministry was a "hindrance or help" to it.
The statement on behalf of the bishop - who served as a prelate in Dublin - stresses that "full consideration is being given to the opinions of all members of the public, not least those in the Archdiocese of Dublin and, particularly, survivors of clerical child sex abuse during Bishop Murray's time there as an auxiliary bishop".
"All voices are being heard," the statement added.
Archbishop Martin said he was not satisfied with some of the answers he had heard to the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin's findings from bishops who had served in Dublin since 1975.
Without naming him, Archbishop Martin dismissed Bishop Donal Murray's weekend statement that his decision about whether to stay on would be guided by those in his Limerick diocese.
'Serious'
He said he was writing to Bishop Murray and others to say their responses to the report were a matter for the Catholics of the Archdiocese and that he would need to be confident his priests could stand over those statements on Sunday.
The Archbishop added that he did not want to be sitting at meetings with people who he believed had not responded to very serious situations.
Archbishop Martin said only two Irish bishops had phoned him since the report was published and that both Cardinal Sean Brady and he were strongly convinced that the Irish hierarchy needs to re-establish strong leadership.
In an interview with the Limerick Leader newspaper, Bishop Murray said he would make a decision about his future as Bishop of Limerick in the next two weeks.
In the interview published on Wednesday, he said his decision would be informed by feedback from public opinion and his flock.
The Murphy Report, an Irish government report which was published last week, revealed sexual abuse of children by priests over decades, a systematic cover-up by the Church and a lack of action by the Irish police.
It found the Church put its own reputation ahead of the welfare of children.
The report covered a period from 1975 to 2004.
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