Future of Lourdes Home in the balance

Gozo Bishop Mario Grech insisted yesterday he wanted the Lourdes Home, in Għajnsielem, to continue operating as a children's home even though Aġenzija Appoġġ is in the process of re-homing its young residents.

The home's operations have been shadowed by a cloud of controversy after a commission of inquiry, commissioned by Mgr Grech to investigate allegations of physical and psychological abuse, confirmed that "in some particular cases there had been inadmissible behaviour involving minors that should have never taken place".

"We are working together to see how this residence can continue operating as a home for children. I understand it's not an easy job but we're not here to choose easy jobs, we are here to provide a service to those who need it most," Mgr Grech said yesterday in an interview with Church radio RTK.

"I understand the number of nuns is dwindling but I'm not disheartened. With goodwill and support from the state and its agencies, the home can continue to offer this service, which I feel we still need.

"Where possible, for the time being Lourdes Home will continue operating as a home for children. It is the only such home in Gozo and if it terminated its work, the Church will not only lose a gem in its crown but society will have lost an indispensable service," he added.

However, contacted yesterday Joe Gerada, chief executive of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, said the 10 children who remained at the home - aged eight to 15 - were in the process of being placed in a new residence, most likely in Malta.

"The Mother Superior of the Dominican nuns told us that they could no longer provide this service so we are actively negotiating new placements for all the children. The decision has been taken and we are not going back on it," he said.

When contacted for their side of the story, the Mother Superior said she had no comments to make; a remark she kept repeating when asked if the nuns were prepared to apologise to the victims of abuse.

Mr Gerada explained that the relocation of the children could not happen overnight and it had to be done in a way that softened the psychological impact on the children, especially since a couple were in the process of sitting for their exams. This was the only home they knew and the transfer had to be sensitive to this.

"We hope the transition will be complete in the coming weeks and, in the meantime, we are helping the nuns to ensure everything runs smoothly," he added.

Asked if Appoġġ had discussed the possibility of providing long-term help to enable the nuns to continue providing the service to the children, Mr Gerada said this was never on the agenda because the nuns were adamant that they did not wish to continue working along these lines.

Asked whether Appoġġ would be investigating fresh allegations of sexual abuse, made in a Maltese newspaper on Sunday, Mr Gerada said no reports had been received.

Mgr Grech was also questioned about this by The Times but all he would do is refer to his comments made during yesterday's interview with Tonio Bonello, on his radio programme Irrid Nistaqsi.

During the programme the Bishop said: "If I received reports on this (sexual abuse) yesterday or if I receive them tomorrow, it is my duty to pass them on to the Church's response team".

However, pushed by The Times to clarify what he meant exactly, Mgr Grech was reluctant to amplify further, adding that he was not giving interviews... except to the Church's media.

He did speak at length on the Lourdes Home in the 90-minute programme on RTK and reiterated that he will not be making the commission's report public and neither will he be passing it on to the civil authorities. In fact, Mr Gerada himself has not seen the report.

"I asked the commission to investigate the allegations to help me in my pastoral work as a bishop. I'm not a public entity and this was not a public investigation. I don't feel I have a duty to make it public," he stressed.

"Several people have entrusted the commission with their very personal experiences and in complete confidence.

I don't think it's right to shout it from the rooftops," he added.

Asked by Mr Bonello if the nuns involved in the abuse would continue working with children, Mgr Grech was quick to point out that, though the nuns shouldered the responsibility, there were other volunteers in the home, not just nuns.

"As a matter of principle, whoever is caught will not be entrusted with the care of minors. But this doesn't mean that we can discard these people; we need to value other aspects of their lives," he said.

Mgr Grech was also asked why he had felt the need to ask for forgiveness, when no apology had been forthcoming from the nuns.

"As a spiritual leader of this community I felt I should apologise in the name of the Church... I'm not saying that they (the nuns) would do wrong (to ask for forgiveness); each one is responsible for one's actions. I felt it was my duty to provide the balm for the wounds to heal," he said.

The Church has already appointed a team of experts who will accompany these persons through the healing process. However, so far, just a handful of people had come forward to avail themselves of this service, he said.