‘There is nothing lower than what they did today’

CLERICAL abuse victims pointed the Bishop of Ferns, Denis Brennan, towards the Vatican when they heard about his appeal to parishioners to fund outstanding diocesan compensation and legal fees.

Colm O’Gorman, a former abuse victim from the diocese who campaigned to have the Ferns Inquiry established, said that the bulk of the Church’s payments were to lawyers, used by the Church to obstruct victims in their pursuit of the truth.

“Legal bills should be recouped from normal diocesan revenues not from taxpayers’ money or from the Catholic Church’s Stewardship Fund, which should only be used for settlements to victims.