Cloyne abuse scandal - Archbishop sends a clear message

YESTERDAY, as Fr Michael Mernagh ended his “pilgrimage of atonement” at Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral, where he was embraced by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, we got an indication of the great pressure put on the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) chief executive Ian Elliott.

We also got a glimpse of the deepening divisions in the Catholic Church, divisions which have never been made so public before.

Mr Elliott wrote a highly critical report on two child protection cases in Cloyne. Completed in June the report concluded that practices were “inadequate and in some respects dangerous”.