Abuse groups call for resignation of Bishop Kirby

Abuse groups call for Bishop John Kirby to resign after he admitted that in the 1990s he thought paedophilia was “a friendship that crossed the boundary line”.

Bishop Kirby’s remarks were made following an audit of his diocese by the Catholic Church’s child abuse watchdog. The audit found the bishop moved two priests accused of sexually abusing children to different parishes.

Bishop Kirby put his actions down to “gross innocence and naivety” but said he now knew the issue of child sexual abuse was “compulsive and addictive” and that his response was “grossly inadequate”.

However, despite this explanation, the audit found that, as late as last November, his diocese did not have a full written child protection policy and procedures document in place. It also found he had been in dispute with his diocese safeguarding committee as late as 2010 which had led to some members resigning.

Abuse survivor Andrew Madden hit out at Bishop Kirby’s comments and said: “I don’t really believe the claims of ignorance coming from Bishop Kirby. I think it’s used as part of a well-orchestrated tactic to justify the cover up.

“In an organisation where child protection is respected, taken seriously and which has proper leadership, his comments should be viewed as completely unacceptable and his position should be untenable.”

CARI’s acting national clinical director, Majella Ryan, said Bishop Kirby should resign. “I don’t think ignorance is a defence against putting further children at risk to the trauma of sexual abuse. It was his responsibility to be aware of the risks and he had a duty of care in the matter. Even the notion of a grown adult man being friends with a young child being acceptable is not appropriate.”

Maeve Lewis of One In Four said she was far more concerned about Bishop Kirby’s recent actions than his ignorance in the 1990s — including the fact that late last year his diocese had no child protection policy, as well as his refusal in 2010 to remove two priests, against whom allegations were made, from a retreat centre, leading to some members of a child protection committee resigning.