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	Resign, Angry Mum Tells Bishop Tragic Son Who Alleged Clerical Abuse 'Denied Compassion by Church' Irish Independent April 18, 2006 http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9 &si=1599686&issue_id=13930 AN angry mother yesterday called on Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray to resign - and claimed the Catholic Church was directly responsible for her son's death. Peter McCloskey (37) was found dead an April 1, two days after mediation talks with Catholic Church representatives in relation to his allegations of clerical sex abuse. His brother Joseph McCloskey yesterday said "something very fine" inside him "had snapped" after he had talks with a senior priest and nun from the Limerick diocese. Mr McCloskey had contacted the Church in relation to abuse he alleged he had suffered in 1980/81 from Fr Denis Daly, an Irish priest who had been ordained in Australia but who had returned to Ireland and who had worked as a supply priest in Limerick from 1978 to 1987. Mr McCloskey was aged 10 when the alleged abuse began. Fr Daly, who died in 1987, had been aged 55. Fr Daly had left Australia under a cloud, having run foul of police in New South Wales, and had failed to get work as a priest in the diocese of Down and Connor. At a press conference yesterday, Mr McCloskey's mother, Mary McCloskey, said she believed her son was "denied compassion, humanity and basic dignity by the diocese of Limerick". Referring to his death on April 1 last, two days after the meeting with diocesan representatives, she said: "I believe the actions of the Limerick diocese are directly responsible for Peter's death. Where Christian charity humanity and the love of Christ were called for, Peter encountered a litigious response, denial of liability and was threatened with being sued for legal costs. My son Peter paid those costs with his life." Her comments followed an RTE 'Prime Time' documentary last Thursday during which Bishop Murray had said he had tried to help Mr McCloskey and that he believed the Church had tried to help him towards some kind of healing "as best we could". But Mrs McCloskey insisted yesterday that Peter did not receive "sincere support from the diocese". "Bishop Donal Murray . . . failed to show proper Christian love or even basic humanity to my son. I believe if he examines his conscience with real honesty, he will realise that he must step down from his position. He must allow a man who can bring integrity to the office of the Bishop of Limerick to take his place." Colm O'Gorman of the One in Four organisation - which offers support to victims of clerical abuse - disputed that there had been any suggestion of an apology from the Church and challenged the bishop to produce any written evidence of such an apology in relation to the alleged abuse. He also said he felt strict confidentiality imposed by the diocesan legal team should be lifted so the family could effectively challenge the Church's response to Mr McCloskey's allegations. In a statement last night, a spokesman for the bishop said: "Bishop Murray has been, and will continue to be available to meet Peter's family and support them in any way he can at this difficult time and to discuss concerns that they have."
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