Magee replacement promises to help victims of sex abuse

The senior cleric asked by the Pope to run the Diocese of Cloyne has said that he wants to restore trust and do everything he can to help the victims of clerical sex abuse in the Co Cork diocese.

Speaking on RTE radio the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly Dr. Dermot Clifford said the he wanted to restore trust with the victims in the first place, the people of the Diocese and the priests and build morale.

He was speaking after last week’s announcement from the Vatican that he is to take over the running of the dioceses from Bishop John Magee, who has decided to step aside.

He added that he wanted to help the victims “in so far as he could with every resource he could muster.”

He said he also wanted to engage with bodies such as the HSE and Gardaí to ensure maximum communication and best practise in dealing with complaints.

There were many calls for Bishop Magee to stand down after a report by the National Safeguarding Board for Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC), published last December, found the Catholic Church had not responded properly to abuse allegations.

A NBSCCC review of child abuse inquiries in the Diocese of Cloyne found that Church authorities broke their own rules on reporting allegations.

"It lowers the morale of all the church when there is a report like that," he said, adding that the Catholic Church is praying for the victims and for a solution to the child sex problems "once and for all".

He said that every religious congregation and diocese must understand and put into effect "robust and precise" child protection guidelines.

Dr Clifford added that he would see to it that such guidelines would come into being in Cloyne. He said that the situation in relation to the victims "must be righted".

"You can never give people back their childhood but you can do something to make up to them to improve their quality of life and to bring closure to the very unhappy events that have marred their childhood and youth."

He said that it is "very hard to understand" why members of the clergy sexually abused children, and that it has taken a long time to come to terms with it.

He added that these clerical abusers must have "some inclination that is different from the ones the rest of us, the normal ones are gifted with".

Dr Clifford said that he did not know if there were any more problems in the Diocese of Cloyne but that was something he would have to find out.

He said that Bishop Magee applied for an administrator to run the Diocese of Cloyne and he was the one chosen by Pope Benedict.

"He is going to be taken up with the concerns of the inquiry into the diocese of Cloyne which will take up all his time," said Dr Clifford, who will continue to run his own diocese of Cashel while running Cloyne .

He said that Bishop Magee, who will retain his as title as Bishop of Cloyne, has had "a very hard time" and has "done a lot of penance for any neglect or omissions," but remains a "strong and good man".