IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph
By David Quinn
March 18 2017
Bishop Eamonn Casey has received mostly positive coverage since his death earlier this week. Part of the reason is the undoubted good work he did during most of his years in active ministry.
But I think another reason is that his scandal pales when compared with what was to come. His scandal involved a consenting adult. The scandal was that he broke his vows and used diocesan funds to help his son.
I wonder what would happen if a similar scandal came to light today? It is the view of Pope Francis that if a priest fathers a child, he ought to leave his ministry and help raise his child. Would he have done that?
The scandals that later came to light were vastly worse than the one involving Bishop Eamonn Casey. They were crimes. Bishop Casey’s hypocrisy didn’t compare with the horror of sexually abusing a child.
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