‘Foreign perspective on abuse welcome’

The organisers of the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin have defended the absence of a senior member of the Irish hierarchy from making a speech on clerical sexual abuse during the event.

Fr Kevin Doran, congress general secretary, said they had received advice “from various sources” which included survivors, that the perspective from someone outside Ireland on the issue would be welcome. “People have heard lots of voices from Ireland,” he said after a keynote event yesterday.

Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines gave an address entitled: “The Abuse of Children — Accepting Responsibility, Bringing Healing.”