Buck stops with the Pope

So, after all that, all the Vatican has to say is that it is ‘dismayed’ at the ‘sinful and criminal acts’ of the Irish Catholic hierarchy and the abuses that same Vatican allowed it to inflict on men, women and children in Ireland for decades.

The scale of denial, and the refusal to acknowledge responsibility, puts those who wrote this report on a par with those who compile the terms of reference for the various tribunals we set up in Ireland and those who compile the final reports. In all cases, no one is ever responsible for anything.

Former US President Harry Truman had a paperweight on his desk stating ‘the buck stops here’, meaning in his role as president he was ultimately responsible for all the decisions at all government levels in the name of his office.