All we want is to hear is the truth

IS there not a sense of “here we go again” about the late and inadequate apology of Archbishop John Magee?

The ”I’m sorry” syndrome, the buck passing, and the “I didn’t know” excuse all finishing with “that is all I will say on the matter” is not good enough. It wasn’t good enough when this whole scandal of abuse first surfaced all these years ago and, in the light of knowledge and hindsight, is not good enough today.

Bishop Magee, when will you and your fellow officials in the Church wake up and realise that what the faithful — in what remains of them — want to hear is the truth, nothing more, and for God’s sake, and respect for the abused, nothing less? So quit the scripted spindoctored, legally verified tongue-in-cheek approach for an honest and forthright communication with those of your Church.

What people want to hear is no more what they, and the dogs in the street already know.

Yes, there was a deliberate and defined policy right from the very top down, to deny, cover up, silence victims, buy them off the strong willed ones, intimidate the timid and traumatically injured ones, all coupled to a policy of shielding, moving, and failing to hand abusers over the civil authorities.

Failure, even at this late date, to address this issue in this forthright, honest and truthful manner, has by the principal of association tarred you all, right to the Pope himself, with the brush that colours all with the indelible stain of abuser.

Strong words you might think, but the Church’s failure to date, brands you all as abusers, abusers of trust and truth that the faithful of the Church have placed within you, and expect from you. I know that your legal advisers have told you that such an admission of conspiracy and guilt would financially break the Church and bring the whole house of cards tumbling down. Don’t forget that in his short time on earth all that Christ left for his executioners to barter for were the clothes he wore, and that he celebrated his first Mass in a rented room.

So, Bishop Magee, I would say to you now at this late stage, wake up and realise the you and you fellow Church leaders are living through a new reformation and that the incompetent leadership is driving people away.

Liam Cunningham

Carrigaline

Cork