Cloyne abuse report: Monsignor admits favouring priests over victims

Bishop Magee’s second-in-command in Cloyne has admitted he sometimes had more concern for abusive priests than their victims.

Retired Monsignor Denis O’Callaghan said he is deeply sorry for compounding the suffering of survivors of clerical sex attacks.

But in a statement he failed to fully explain why he was drawn to the plight of accused priests rather than the innocent victims.

“I acknowledge and I am sorry that, in responding to the allegations of abuse, I, in some instances, became emotionally and pastorally drawn to the plight of the accused priest, to the detriment of the pastoral response I intended to make to complainants,” he said.

Monsignor O’Callaghan was vicar general in Cloyne and according to the inquiry was given a free hand to investigate allegations against priests. This was a failing blamed on John Magee.

He openly admits that he did not support Church policy, adopted in 1996 in the wake of the Brendan Smyth scandal, that all child sex abuse complaints must be reported to health services and gardaí.

“I was not convinced that the procedures facilitated the pastoral response, either for complainants or those priests accused,” he said.

Monsignor O’Callaghan accepts he was bound by the guidelines to protect children and should not have swayed from them.

He added: “I also do not wish to place the blame on failing to implement the procedures fully on anyone but myself.

“It is important for me to state that I was personally appalled by the abuse that had occurred. To be confronted with the reality of knowing that some of my colleagues abused children is dreadful.

“The harrowing accounts of the hurt caused by these priests makes for difficult reading.”

Monsignor O’Callaghan said he tried to respond to victims with kindness and that he never intended to deepen the pain of people who had been abused.

“I most sincerely apologise to any person for any additional hurt I caused to them in my response to their complaints,” he said.

“It was never my intention to add to the immense burden being carried by those who had already been abused and subjected to such an enormous breach of trust by the Church.

“I am sorry and I am saddened that my approach in many instances caused further hurt for people who needed the fullest support and assistance.

“The report acknowledges the ’enormous time and effort’ I put into the job of responding to the allegations of abuse over a 13 year period; I did try to respond to victims with kindness and I am deeply sorry that I failed so many of them.”