Brady: Vatican's approach 'not helpful'

The Vatican’s attitude to the Church’s efforts to introduce child protection measures in Ireland was not helpful, Cardinal Sean Brady admitted.

The country’s most senior Catholic cleric acknowledged criticism levelled at the authorities in Rome by the damning Cloyne report.

The inquiry lambasted the Vatican for referring to mandatory guidelines for reporting abuse, drawn up in the mid-1990s, as merely a study document.

It said this approach was “entirely unhelpful” and had effectively given Bishop John Magee carte blanche to ignore the new protection framework in Cloyne.

Cardinal Brady said he agreed with this assessment of the Vatican’s stance in 1996, but insisted it was now very different, pointing to the recent letter written by Pope Benedict to congregations across Ireland.

“The Vatican’s attitude then was not helpful,” he said.

“But since then we have had the pastoral letter from the Holy Father last year which urges us to co-operate with the civil authorities, with our National Board, and that’s the line we are following very much at the moment.”

He said back in the 1990s Irish bishops had disregarded the advice to view the guidelines as a study document and had pushed forward with implementation.

“We introduced our guidelines and have been doing our best to have those guidelines implemented ever since because we felt what was best for the safeguarding of children was best for everybody,” he said.

Giving his reaction to the Cloyne report in Portadown, the Cardinal said he was deeply saddened by the findings.

But he insisted the latest scathing assessment of the Church would not prompt him to consider his position, affirming his determination to ensure child protection measures were implemented fully.

“It’s a very bad day,” he said outside the new Drumcree Pastoral Centre.

“It saddens me greatly. I am very upset.”

He said he wanted to apologise to all victims of abuse and their families but pointed to a conclusion in the report that said the reporting guidelines did work when followed.

“If there is one positive thing to come out of it, it is the confirmation that these Church structures have been proven to be effective,” he added.

Cardinal Brady was also pressed to explain why he had initially backed Bishop Magee when the claims surrounding Cloyne, in particular one against the cleric himself, emerged in 2008 and 2009.

The cardinal explained that he was trying to “manage the situation” and wanted the bishop to remain in post so he could face up to the allegations.

“I regret any hurt or any misunderstanding that that caused people, because I wanted him not to resign and not to run away but to stay and face his responsibilities,” he said.

A finding of inappropriate behaviour was made against Bishop Magee but there was no evidence of any abuse after he hugged and kissed a young man considering joining the priesthood.