Fergus Finlay: Why do we still allow religious orders to exist?

They should wind up their affairs and hand their assets over to the State: Until they do, the apologies are just spin and bluster

The Spiritans, also known as the Holy Ghost Order, last week confirmed that its records indicate 233 people have made allegations of abuse against 77 Irish Spiritans in ministries throughout Ireland and overseas. Picture: RollingNews.ie

DAY after day last week, Joe Duffy outlined a history of abuse and cover-up, all perpetrated by a religious order called the Holy Ghost Fathers. A few of the priests were named. Apparently, every time Joe Duffy’s programme got hold of the name of a priest they asked the religious order to confirm it. Once they had confirmation, they used the name of the priest on air.

It’s going to take them a while to name them all. The National Safeguarding Body in the Catholic Church published an “audit” of the Holy Ghosts in 2012. In that, they identified (though they didn’t name) 48 priests against whom allegations have been made since 1975.