Cardinal's Shame over Paedophile Priest

By John Bingham
Telegraph
May 1, 2015

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11578300/Cardinals-sorrow-and-shame-over-paedophile-priest.html


The former leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales had said he feels “sorrow and shame” for allowing a known paedophile to continue working as a priest.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor admitted that his decision to appoint Michael Hill as an airport chaplain instead of reporting him to the police left him free to abuse again.

In an extract from the his memoirs published in The Tablet, the Cardinal admits that he failed at the time to recognise the lasting pain and damage sexual abuse inflicts on victims.

He uses the book to apologise to victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Britain and around the world.

Hill was jailed twice in 1997 and 2002 for a catalogue of sex attacks on children including altar boys.

The Cardinal, who is a friend of Pope Francis, was serving as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton in the early 1980s, when allegations of sexual abuse came to light.

He removed him from his position as a parish priest and sent him off for therapy.

Arundel Cathedral

But he recounted how, about two years later, Hill came to him crying with apparent remorse and begging “on his knees” to be allowed back into ministry.

After reviewing psychiatric reports he decided to appoint him to the vacant post as Chaplain at Gatwick Airport believing he would have little prolonged contact with children there.

“Of course, I was very wrong and he went on to abuse another child,” the Cardinal wrote.

“Instead of giving him another post, I should have reported him to the police and social services.

“I will always look back on my decision with sorrow and shame.”

The Old Bailey later heard how Hill sexually assaulted a teenager with learning difficulties who had gone to the airport chapel after missing a flight.

In the memoir the Cardinal discussed how the scandal dominated the first two years of his time as Archbishop of Westminster, the most senior post in the Church in England and Wales, and prompted him to considered resigning.

“In some of the interviews and at some of the press conferences I felt tangible hostility,” he said.

“But I knew that the real problem wasn’t with newspaper reporters or broadcasters, the problem was in the Church and we had to address it.”

Pope Francis

The Cardinal said that he had been “foolish and naive” to be swayed by sympathy for Hill, remarking: “I had drifted into that space where kindness blurs into weakness.”

He added: “To my shame, it only gradually began to sink in just how much damage abuse causes to victims – pain and damage which will be part of their lives forever.”

“There are many victims in the Church in England and Wales and across the world.

“To each and every one of them I extend my heartfelt sorrow and apologies for what they have endured.

“The great lesson for all of us, certainly the most important lesson I have had to learn – was that, first and foremost we have to listen to victims, to put those who have been abused by priests at the centre of the story.”