Ex-bishop damned over child abuse
A retired Catholic bishop has been singled out for failing to follow Church rules on reporting clerical sex abuse in an Irish diocese as recently as three years ago.
A fourth damning inquiry into the church in Ireland lays the blame for the mishandling of allegations with John Magee - a former Vatican aide who served as personal secretary to three popes.
The judge-led investigation into his inadequate attempts to deal with abusive clerics launched a withering attack on the former Bishop of Cloyne in Co Cork for attempting to blame subordinates for his failures.
The long-awaited report also found his second-in-command Monsignor Denis O'Callaghan did not approve of the Church's protection guidelines, in particular the need to alert the police, and "stymied" child abuse policy.
"It is a remarkable fact that Bishop Magee took little or no active interest in the management of clerical child sexual abuse cases until 2008," the shocking 400-page report found.
The inquiry - headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy, who in 2009 exposed a damning catalogue of failures in the Dublin Archdiocese - found the Catholic hierarchy in Cloyne was resisting church policy 12 years after a framework document on child protection was adopted in 1996.
The commission's devastating criticisms go right to the top of the Catholic Church.
It lambasted the Vatican and accused it of an "entirely unhelpful" reaction for referring to the Irish Church's mandatory reporting guidelines as merely a study document.
It found the response from Rome effectively gave a carte blanche to the likes of Bishop Magee to ignore the guidelines and offered "comfort and support" to senior clerics such as Monsignor O'Callaghan who dissented from official Irish Church policy on paedophile priests.
John Magee stood down from day-to-day duties in March 2009 and resigned a year later.
In one of its most damning assessments, the report states the Cloyne scandal was different from others, because it dealt with allegations after 1996.
That was the year the Catholic Church brought in the child sex abuse guidelines and protection policies, and two years after revelations about paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth "convulsed" the country, the report said.
The commission said this ruled out any past excuses for the poor handling of allegations reported in other dioceses such as Dublin and Ferns.
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Ms Louise Vella
Jul 14th 2011, 09:16
Can Maltese Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici ask his buddy Irish Minister for Justice Alan Shatter for some advice on how the investigation in the Cloyne diocese was conducted?
It's about time the Maltese Government opened up a similar inquiry in Malta and see what this investigation will unearth. Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter, recently in Malta, called the findings "truly scandalous". Will it surprise anyone if the findings of a similar investigation in Malta will be on the same lines?
Judy Jones
Jul 13th 2011, 22:46
Please read the "Cloyne Report". It is one more example of how the catholic hierarchy systemically protect themselves rather than protect innocent kids.
Crimes have been committed and the only way to get this stopped is for outside law enforcement to take action against those responsible.
ALL who sexually abuse a child, plus ALL who protect the predator, put more children at risk, and cover up these crimes, need to be held accountable and charged for these crimes. link to report... http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0713/cloyne_report.pdf
For the sake of victims and for the sake of children, it is imperative for everyone (who has been harmed by bishops, priests, nuns, brothers, employees, etc.) to report your abuse to law enforcement and prosecutors so that this systemic horrible abuse can get stopped. Do not report your abuse to church officials.
It is easier to stay silent and let others carry the burden of exposing the truth, but keep in mind your silence only hurts, and by speaking up there is a chance for healing, exposing the truth, and therefore protecting others.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, USA, 636-433-2511
[email protected]
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests"
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
Ms Louise Vella
Jul 13th 2011, 18:22
The Cloyne report was ordered by the Irish Government in 2009, following revelations that child protection practices in the diocese were inadequate and in some respects dangerous. It focused on complaints made against 19 priests who were working in Cloyne, between 1996 and 2009.
Since we all bear the responsibility of protecting children from any kind of abuse, I urge the Minister for Justice Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici to set up an independent investigation like the one set up in Cloyne, to enquire if similar criminal behaviour has occurred, or is occurring, also in Malta by the Catholic Church.
Mr Joe B Edwards
Jul 13th 2011, 21:03
It is. Don't you watch the news?
Mr Terry Gosden
Jul 13th 2011, 21:09
Louise:
I am pleased to be able to fully agree with you on this important issue.
Mr Peter Murray
Jul 13th 2011, 22:11
Brilliant idea Ms.Vella and I am not remotely being facetious but aren't you being subjunctive with your enquiries?The Catholic church adopts and cultivates a circling of the wagons mentality and I speak from first hand experience.God's representatives on earth-well if that is true then God has a lot to answer for in a lot of cases.I fully endorse and support your aims and objectives but we haven't a hope in hell-sorry for that reference but it is extremely apposite.
M Ellul
Jul 14th 2011, 01:41
I have no doubt that it is.
Please choose the reason of your report below: