Church must face up to scandal

THE “statement of regret” issued

It speaks volumes for the inability of the leadership of the Catholic Church to face up to this problem.

The day is gone when the Church should be allowed hide such a serious issue for so long.

RTÉ’s Prime Time programme revealed the Archdiocese of Dublin is facing 450 legal actions as a result of clerical child sex abuse. Prime Time detailed accounts of cases of abuse by eight priests, of which at least six bishops became aware.

Possibly one of the worst cases which came to light, and which Cardinal Connell has a responsibility to explain, is how a paedophile priest, the late Fr Noel Reynolds, came to be appointed chaplain to the National Rehabilitation Hospital , a hospital which has a ward for young people.

The appointment was made after numerous parents in Glendalough expressed concern about the priest, who in 1999 admitted to having abused 100 children.

Hospital authorities were not made aware of the expressions of concern and only found out when researchers for the television programme contacted them.

There were other disturbing revelations, which indicate Church authorities were radically wrong in the way they handled cases of which they were made aware.

Expediency in dealing with such cases, rather than facing its responsibilities, characterised the approach of the Church. On the same day serious questions were being raised on Cardinal Connell’s responsibilities, the Vatican said proposals drawn up by American bishops in relation to clerical paedophilia had been rejected.