Child abuse report - Horrors that must never be repeated

IT is not vain to suggest that resilience is a characteristic of the Irish. How else would we have survived the economic, political and social travails that shaped our history and will define our future?

Today that resilience is required if we are not to allow a combination of floods, recession and delusion overwhelm us and destroy the considerable progress we have made over the last few decades.

That resilience will be needed too when we consider, as we must, the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation report into the satanic abuse of children by priests of that diocese.

Just as the Ferns and Ryan reports did, this publication uncovers a litany of horror that can only be described as an active evil, a pervading darkness that poisoned lives through collusion, betrayal and a determination to protect the institution of the Catholic Church no matter what the consequences; no matter whose rights or dignity, no matter whose emotional or psychological integrity, was destroyed.

The extent of the scandal – and in this context that extreme description seems pathetically feeble – is incomprehensible to anyone who has ever loved a child.

One priest admitted to abusing over 100 children, another was an active paedophile – raping and buggering children – for over 25 years. Every archbishop in recent decades was aware of this rampant evil but shirked their responsibilities and brushed the problems under the carpet. They put the reputation of their corrupt institution before anything else, even before the message of love they existed to observe and honour. Civil authorities were only made aware of church concerns surrounding these appalling attacks 14 years ago.

In a finding that challenges another pillar of this society, the report describes how senior gardaí responded to allegations of abuse as if they thought priests and their criminality were outside the remit of civil law. Their misguided deference manifested itself as inaction and indifference to the awful plight of the priests’ victims.

Many years ago, when these atrocities were first widely acknowledged the argument that these crimes were committed by a minority of clerics was advanced and widely accepted. It was a comforting argument but it is getting ever more difficult to accept.

The report found that “the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church and the preservation of assets” were the institution’s priority. “All other considerations, including the welfare of children and justice for victims, were subordinated to these priorities,” it added.

Very often individual members of large organisations are powerless to effect change or reform but the silence of the great majority of churchmen and women in the face of such corruption is at the very least questionable. Where were those whose conscience demanded that they act? Where were those whose conscience made it impossible to remain silent? Where were those whose conscience demanded that they resign to publicise these crimes? Far, far too few to suggest that the majority of priests, nuns or brothers had the moral compass we all rely on to sustain a civilised society.

The argument of ignorance is as unacceptable as is the one that suggests the pre-eminence of Canon Law.

Because of all of this, the determination of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to confront the culture of denial, secrecy, diocesan independence and a questionable commitment to the absolute authority of the Constitution of this Republic is all the more laudable. Despite considerable and entrenched opposition – his predecessor went to the High Court to stop him giving diocesan files to the investigators – he has insisted on considerable change.

Speaking yesterday, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern was unusually and commendably direct. “It is not now – nor has it ever been – acceptable that institutions behave or are treated as being above the law of the State. This is a Republic – the people are sovereign – and no institution, no agency, no church can be immune from that fact,” he said

Mr Ahern insisted the cover-ups would not be repeated. “The era when evil people could do so under the cover of the cloth, facilitated and shielded from the consequences by their authorities, while the lives of children were ruined... is over for good.”

There is not an Irish citizen who would not wholeheartedly endorse that declaration.

Some years ago, the history of the sexual and physical abuse of children was described as the Irish Holocaust. At that time, that description seemed extreme. Sadly, time has justified it. It is now our responsibility to ensure that it never happens again.