Vatican Radio
June 7, 2011
http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=494031
[with audio]
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English Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor has urged Catholics around the world to pray for the Church in Ireland as it seeks to 'recover and reform' in the wake of the devastating clerical sex abuse crisis.
The cardinal is one of six Catholic Church leaders appointed by Pope Benedict to lead an investigation into the causes of abuse within Ireland's major dioceses and religious congregations. On Monday the Vatican announced that this so-called 'apostolic visitation' has concluded its first stage and that the initial reports have been submitted to Vatican officials.
The visitation was first announced by Pope Benedict in a March 2010 Pastoral letter to Irish Catholics after two reports revealed widespread abuse of minors on the part of members of the clergy and church employees stretching back decades.
A Vatican statement said no further visitations to dioceses and seminaries were planned, but that there may be additional visits to some religious communities. It also said that by early 2012, the Vatican would publish a synthesis of the results of the reports, as well as future prospects "with a view to the nationwide mission announced" by the Pope in his pastoral letter.
Philippa Hitchen talked to Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor who has been overseeing the investigation in the archdiocese of Armagh…
"It was clearly a very important visitation, not just for Armargh, but for all the other dioceses where the visitors went..
It's very hard to say there'll be an immediate recovery, it'll take time and it'll take good leadership, it'll take the gift of the Spirit and sincere repentance….
It'll take honesty and transparency in dealing with issues of child abuse, but I think it also needs our prayers as well, for a country which I love very much, and for the Church in Ireland which has done so much in the past for the Church all over the world...."
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