Archbishop Meeting Is First Step in Long Process, Ireland Online, February 17, 2010

Archbishop: Meeting Is "First Step in Long Process"

Ireland Online
February 17, 2010

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/ireland/archbishop-meeting-is-first-step-in-long-process-446595.html

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has described this week's meetings between the Pope and Irish bishops as "the first step in a long process", while Cardinal Sean Brady has said he is very sorry to hear victims of clerical abuse are disappointed by the outcome of the meeting.

The comments come as victims of clerical abuse criticised the summit as being nothing more than "a cynical PR exercise".

Speaking after Ash Wednesday Mass in University College Dublin, Archbishop Martin said that the concerns of the survivors of abuse had been brought to the attention of the Pope.

And he said there was no denial of the facts of the Murhpy and Ryan reports:

The Cardinal is rejecting the two-day meeting - to discuss the fall out from the Ryan and Murphy reports - was a cynical PR exercise.

He also dimissed reports of any tensions among the 24 bishops - who he said travelled to the Vatican to help the Pope prepare a pastoral letter to the Irish people.

The Cardinal made the comments at Dublin Airport after arriving back from Rome this afternoon.