Primate backs under-fire bishop over child sex abuse claims

Catholic Primate Cardinal Sean Brady tonight said under-fire Bishop of Cloyne John Magee should not resign.

Bishop Magee, a former Vatican aide, has faced down repeated calls to quit over his mishandling of child sex abuse allegations, branded inadequate and dangerous by the church’s own watchdog.

But Cardinal Brady said he believes the embattled Bishop, who served as Private Secretary to three pontiffs, has learnt painful lessons from the Cloyne controversy.

Ahead of an address to clergy in Killarney, Co Kerry, the Cardinal said: “I think he should stay to make sure that this child safeguarding is kept as a total priority in that Diocese.”

It is the first time the Cardinal has spoken publicly about Bishop Magee after he was heavily criticised in a report by the Catholic Church’s watchdog, the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) one week before Christmas.

It found the senior cleric took minimal action over a series of child abuse allegations against two of his priests and what little action he took, was inappropriately delayed.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) was called in to investigate on foot of the recommendations of the 2005 Ferns Report, which highlighted 100 allegations of child sex abuse made against 21 priests in Co Wexford between 1962 and 2002.

Its investigation corroborated the NBSC finding that Cloyne did not adhere to either church or state child protection guidelines as health chiefs were never notified of the complaints.

One in the Four, the sex abuse support group which sparked the landmark inquiry into paedophile priests in Co Wexford four years ago, said the Cardinal was demonstrating a complete lack of understanding of the dynamics of sexual abuse.

Executive director Maeve Lewis said: “Bishop Magee misled the HSE by confirming he was in compliance with child protection procedures when he was not.

“It is only after public outcry that the Bishop has come to recognise his errors and to apologise for his actions.”

One in Four repeated its call for Bishop Magee to resign.

In his address to Kerry clergymen, the Cardinal said: “Our first thought should always be for those who have suffered abuse.

“The scandalous behaviour of some clergy has caused immense pain to them and to their families.

“Recent events also remind us that there is absolutely no room for complacency in this area.

“There is no pastoral issue more critical for the Church in Ireland today than to ensure the right attitudes and the right procedures are in place to safeguard children.

“Of course we must also address issues such as healing and atonement, forgiveness and reconciliation which are always a part of the Christian response to even the most appalling and unacceptable behaviour.”

Child protection in the Diocese of Cloyne and its handling of abuse allegations is now being investigated by the Dublin Commission of Investigation.

Cardinal Brady said he believed Bishop Magee has begun to address the issues raised by the investigations. He said the senior cleric has apologised, changed diocesan policy on child protection and added that he believed the Bishop would do everything in his power to make sure the controversy is not repeated.

The first allegation of abuse in the Diocese of Cloyne was made by a priest in December 2004 who claimed he had been abused as a young boy by an unnamed cleric, referred to as Father A.

Several complaints were also made against a second priest, Father B, who was accused of molesting two teenage girls over a five-year period, abusing a 14-year-old boy and of having a year-long sexual relationship with the boy’s mother.

Archbishops and cardinals do not have the authority to force a bishop to resign from his own diocese. It is a Vatican decision.