Call to pinpoint end of Church ‘cover-up’

THE date after which the Catholic Church’s culture of covering up clerical abuse of children ended must be made known, a Catholic newspaper has written.

Bishop Martin Drennan has refused once again this week to step down from his position as Bishop of Galway, citing his belief that he did nothing wrong when dealing with child abuse complaints at the Dublin Archdiocese. He has constantly stated that the “culture of cover up”, unearthed in the Murphy Report, had changed when he took up office as auxiliary bishop.

In today’s Irish Catholic, editor Garry O’Sullivan says Bishop Drennan should resign if it is deemed he was part of a culture of cover-up of child sexual abuse, but that, equally, he shouldn’t have to resign if he is not found part of this culture.