Indignation must not give rise to vilification

WITHOUT any shadow of doubt there must be mourning in Heaven and jubilation in Hell whenever an innocent child is abused by a Catholic priest.

It represents the betrayal of everything that every Catholic, and every decent person holds dear. One can therefore empathise with Mr Kenny’s indignation. However, let not indignation give rise to falsification, or much less to vilification.

I am not aware of any case where an Irish priest was found guilty of the “rape and torture of a child”. Does Mr Kenny have evidence of such? If he does not, let him retract that statement.

Mr Kenny accuses the Holy See of endeavouring “to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign democratic republic”. Sovereign? Did Mr Kenny not understand some terms of the Nice Treaty? Democratic? Has Mr Kenny forgotten that when the Irish people were first asked to vote on the Nice Treaty they said no. That was the wrong answer in the view of the Government and of all the major political parties. So we were made to vote again. Mr Kenny describes himself as a “practising Catholic”. Well with friends like that, who needs enemies? Let me acquaint Mr Kenny with a few facts about the Cloyne Report:

* Only one priest was convicted in Cloyne.

* 415 clergy served in Cloyne over the period covered by the report.

* Over 30% of the allegations made were false.

* The HSE ignored 90% of historical abuse allegations.

Steve McGarry

Bishopstown

Co Cork