An Irish bishop who was criticised in a report into clerical child abuse has travelled to Rome where he is expected to offer his resignation to the Pope
BBC News
December 7, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8398745.stm
IRELAND--The Murphy report criticised the Bishop of Limerick Donal Martin for the way he dealt with a paedophile priest when he was an auxiliary bishop in Dublin.
The Irish state broadcaster RTE said on Monday that he had gone to the Vatican but there has been no official comment.
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| Bishop Donal Murray is expected to resign when he meets the Pope in Rome |
Bishop Murray told massgoers on Sunday he needed their prayers "this week".
Bishop Murray will be followed to the Vatican next week by the leader of Ireland's Catholics, Cardinal Sean Brady.
He will meet the Pontiff to discuss both the Murphy report and the outcome of the Ryan inquiry, a separate investigation into abuse by religious orders.
The Murphy report into abuse in the Irish capital's archdiocese damned the church hierarchy's handling of priests suspected of being child abusers.
The broader Ryan inquiry, which was published earlier this year, said physical and sexual abuse of children was "endemic" in institutions run by Catholic religious orders in the Irish Republic.
Following the publication of the Murphy report which described his actions as "inexcusable", Bishop Murray said he would take a month to consider its findings before deciding what to do.
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'We have failed people,' says Cardinal
In a letter read to Mass congregations, he said that he was "acutely aware of the pain and anguish" experienced since the report was published.
Cardinal Brady has stopped short of saying that Bishop Martin should resign.
"Bishop Donal Murray has been in contact with me, as you know he is considering his position and hopes to be in a position to comment soon and I'm confident Bishop Donal will do the right thing," Cardinal Brady said.
"I support the call of Bishop Martin for stronger leadership among us at this time because I think it's called for.
"I also support the request from Bishop Martin for those in a position to give answers, to provide explanations for what has happened, to do so."
Meanwhile, a government official has been asked to look at the possibility of holding an inquiry similar to Ryan in Northern Ireland.
The request came after politicians from all parties represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly backed a motion calling for investigation of allegations of abuse in both Catholic and state-run institutions.
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