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	Vatican Must Come Clean on Its Dirty History New Ross Standard July 27, 2011 http://www.newrossstandard.ie/sport/gaelic-football/vatican-must-come-clean-on-its-dirty-history-2831701.html AFTER THE tumultuous events of the past fortnight, when the Catholic Church in Ireland was devastated first by the publication of the Cloyne Report and then by the unprecedented and thoroughly well deserved criticism of the Taoiseach, there can be no doubt that the church has a moral and social obligation to come clean on its history and handling of child abuse. This is not just for the sake of the church itself, but for the sake of the majority of Irish people who have put their faith in the institution and have seen that faith abused. Last Wednesday marked a watershed in the history of church/ state relations in Ireland when Taoiseach Enda Kenny excoriated the Vatican over the way it has dealt with the church's shameful record of clerical child abuse. In a speech that has been welcomed by abuse victims and the population at large, Mr Kenny said the appalling revelations of abuse cover-ups contained in the Cloyne Report demonstrated the ' dysfunction, disconnection, elitism and narcissism that dominates the culture of the Vatican.' Given the always deferential and very often subservient nature of the relationship between the Irish state and the Catholic church ever since we gained independence, these were extraordinary words and the Taoiseach's courage and conviction in making the ground-breaking statement has been recognised at home and around the world, and notably by some key figures within the church itself. The Vatican, which is reported to have been ' stung' by the Taoiseach's attack is now considering its response and we might well anticipate that when it comes it will be in very measured tones. If that proves to be the case it will be a disappointment. The Catholic church in Ireland is in crisis. Given the now well documented predisposition of the hierarchy to focus its concerns on maintaining its power and status above all else, there can be little doubt that many within the church will see that crisis in terms of the danger of losing its privileged position of influence and authority in Irish society. That may be a problem for the church as an institution but for the many people whose faith and commitment in the church has been rocked to the core there are more important matters that should be addressed. People no longer know what they can trust or believe from a church that chose to hide the most reprehensible crimes because it was more concerned about saving its reputation than giving justice to those who were cruelly abused by its priests. For the sake of the victims of clerical sex abuse and for the sake of all those who want and need a church they can believe in, the Vatican must come clean on the church's dirty history. It seems that every time a diocese is examined dreadful secrets emerge and this leads people to conclude that there are many more dark secrets yet to be revealed. The church needs to clear this up once and for all. There is no longer any tolerance for dodging and evasion, The church must examine how many cases of child sex abuse there are in every diocese in the country and reveal in an open and frank manner how they have been handled. The people of Ireland have looked to the church for moral support and guidance, they have put their faith in the teachings of the church and have made its code of ethics their own, accepting without question that it is right. By its mishandling of child sex abuse cases, the church has failed that trust and this leaves all those whose faith is a very important part of their lives in a kind of spiritual limbo. The very least they - and the victims of clerical abuse - deserve is that they should finally be treated with the respect and honesty that has been so sadly lacking thus far.
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