By Richard Owen
The Times (United Kingdom)
December 12, 2009
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6953404.ece
The Pope has said that he is "disturbed and distressed" by revelations concerning sexual abuse of children in Ireland by Roman Catholic clergy and shares the Irish people's feelings of outrage.
In a statement issued after an emergency meeting between leading Irish church officials and Benedict XVI yesterday, the Vatican said that the Pope would issue a pastoral letter to the Irish people on the cases of sexual abuse.
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| Cardinal Sean Brady, centre, the Primate of All Ireland, with Monsignor Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin, left after meeting the Pope Photo by Tony Gentile |
The pontiff was said to be asking for prayers for the victims of "these heinous crimes", and said that the Vatican would "develop effective and secure strategies to prevent any recurrence".
The crisis over sex abuse cases would probably lead to an overhaul of the Irish Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Dublin said after the 90-minute meeting. Monsignor Diarmuid Martin said "a very significant reorganisation" was likely.
Asked what form the shake-up would take, Archbishop Martin said: "It is not a question of heads rolling. People must take their own responsibility" — implying that senior clerics involved in the scandal would be expected to step down of their own volition or be forced to do so. Last month's Murphy report on the Church's handling of child abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin over 30 years gave a detailed account of abuse by priests of more than 300 victims that it said had been systematically covered up.
"The Holy Father shares the outrage, betrayal and shame felt by so many of the faithful in Ireland, and he is united with them in prayer at this difficult time in the life of the Church," the Vatican said. "He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy, who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large."
The Murphy inquiry investigated the handling of abuse reports by the Archdiocese of Dublin between 1975 and 2004. It concluded that the Church had been "obsessively" secretive about the abuse, operating a policy of "don't ask, don't tell" and showing more concern for the reputation of the Church than for the children. Paedophile priests were moved from parish to parish, free to repeat their actions on new victims.
The Pope told the Irish delegation, led by Cardinal Seán Brady of Armagh, the Primate of All Ireland, and Monsignor Martin, that the Holy See "takes very seriously the central issues raised by the report, including questions concerning the governance of local church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children".
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