Vatican document was sent to all bishops

I POINTED OUT (Irish Examiner letters, April 27) that “by means of the 1962 document Crimen Sollicitationis, the Vatican instructed Catholic bishops around the world to cover up cases of clerical sexual abuse or risk being thrown out of the church.”

Rev Gerard Garrett of the Cork Regional Tribunal Offices (Irish Examiner letters, May 4), in his attempted rebuttal of the issues raised by me, wrote this misleading statement: “Crimen Sollicitationis was not sent to every bishop in the world and, in fact, many of them didn’t even hear of it until 2001.”

Contrary to the claim of Rev Garrett, the document itself makes it abundantly clear that it was sent to “all bishops” because it is addressed: “From the Supreme and Holy Congregation of the Holy Office to all Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops and other Diocesan Ordinals ‘even of the Oriental Rite.’ ”

If Rev Garrett’s statement was intended to ‘explain away’ the actions of many Irish bishops whose cover-up of clerical sex abuse crimes is a matter of record, it has failed because the document confirms that it was sent to and received by “all (Irish) archbishops, bishops and other diocesan ordinals.”

Patrick Geaney

13 South Bank Estate

Swords

Co Dublin