BishopAccountability.org
	Vactican Meetings Are 'Not Just a Cosmetic Excercise' Irish Times February 14, 2010 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0214/breaking33.htm ROME -- The meetings between Ireland's Catholic bishops and Pope Benedict, tomorrow and Tuesday, are "not just a cosmetic exercise. They are serious," Bishop Joseph Duffy said in Rome this afternoon. The meetings would be "a complete flop if seen as a formality or a glossing over of difficult points," he said. The Chairman of the Communications Commission of the Irish Bishops' Conference was speaking a a press briefing in the Irish College. He said the Pope would attend each of the three sessions throughout the two days at which 24 Irish bishops are expected to speak for up to seven minutes each. "Each bishop will speak of his own experience. We have not been invited as a Bishops' Conference but as individual bishops. That's important. Each of us will speak personally and are encouraged to do so in a frank and open way. As Primate Cardinal Brady will speak first," he said. Accompanying the Pope at his meeting with the Irish bishops will be leading members of the Curia, including Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone, the prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Levada, the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops Cardinal Battista Re, the prefect of the Congregation for Clergy Cardinal Hummes, the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life Cardinal Rode, the prefect for the Congregation for Catholic Education Cardinal Grocholewski, and the presindent of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Archbishop Coccopalmerio. Bishop Duffy said he and his fellow bishops would "be keeping survivors (of abuse) at the top of the list of priorities" in addressing the Pope and the Curial Cardinals. Each bishop had been invited "to account directly to the Holy Father," he said, and refered to "the failure of all of us, including bishops, for not doing what we were expected to do." He said the resignation of Bishop Drennan of Galway was "not on the agenda. It is not our business as individuals to discuss resignations publicly, except possibly one's own resignation." He admitted "quite frankly, what everyone else knows, the Church is seriously wounded and it (abuse issue) has done immense damage to the authority of the Church.." He agreed wounds were "self-inflcited, you could say that," and that the bishops had "a major disaster on our hands." He agreed there had been "a clerical culture" and that canon law had to be changed to allow greater involvement of laity in the Church. There had been "tensions" among the bishops over the fall out from the Murphy report "but to describe them as 'divisions' is another matter. Last week at Knock we have a very cordial retreat. Things were thrashed out fully and frankly." What was needed now in the Irish Church was "a renewal in faith and commitment to Christian values. We are not a political party. This can only take place with the help of the Holy Spirit." Reordering structures "is not renewal," he said. He expected Pope Benedict's pastoral letter to the Irish faithful would take account of these things and of what took place over the coming two days and what the bishops would have to say.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.