Abuse victims slam $14 million counselling plan

Thanks, Bernadett! Your reporting this abuse 28 years ago, to both church & police, certainly adds credibility to the charges. I was referring to hypothetical charges, which are only coming out now. The late Chicago Cardinal-Bernadini?-had a man accuse him of abuse. After cross examination, he admitted that the Cardinal had done no such thing. He admitted to his gold digging ways. It was these cases that I was referring to, not the ones which you and others were involved in, in 1983. I, as frequently mentioned, went to Catholic Grade School, from Grades 1-6. In late March, of 6th Grade, my family moved to the suburbs, and I attended public school, thereafter. I wasn't slapped at all, in 1st, 2nd, 5th, or 6th Grades. My 3rd & 4th Grade sisters hit me, but only on occasion. If I was unscrupulous, what would prevent me from alleging real abuse, on their parts? Too much time has past for my would be "charges", or their defenses, to have been substantiated. The 4th Grade nun died in 1990; the 3rd Grade nun only died in 2007, at age 94. Happily, I had seen Sr. Marie, from 1991-94, and had sent her cards, while in the sisters' retirement home. We wound up on amicable terms, I am happy to report!

I support the survivors and their families side. To put the attention on cases that may or may not be truthful, is a ploy used, by the people involved in the cover-up. I will always side with the innocent young people who have been abused by a person in a position of power over them.

I dont know any thing about gravy trains but if you read the murphy report you will see some of us are waiting 28 years having reported it at the time to both church and the police. There are some people are happy to be victims but not all of us, some of us just want it to end and the only way this will happen is when the church does the right thing. My mother had an old irish saying ITS ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING it worked in my home so maybe the catholic church should try it ,sometimes its that easy.

I basically agree with CaptainCon. However, there are phonies out there, who will allege long ago abuse, just to get on the "gravy train". As I always say, it is very difficult to either prove or disprove very dated allegations. The best that can be done is to: 1) Prosecute the recent, provable incidents of abuse, and 2) Institute a strong anti-abuse program, which will prevent future incidents of this nature. I believe the Catholic Church has already done the 2nd one.

Barbaracym,first i would like to ask you are you a priest or nun because i believe only one of their own would have thees views,All the victims are due compensation from those who abused them and more so from those who covered up their crimes in the name of THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH. If the victims didnt have to fight so hard for compensation having to relive the awful things that were done to them, just because thees greedy people wont pay then what they deserve. By all means let them spend the money on counseling its good P.R. I hope Sean Brady and his merry men get some counseling themselves because they need to face what they have done. If we are to believe what the bible teaches they must make restitution to get forgiveness and so far they have done nothing unless the victims fight them every step of the way so with this in mind there is only one place they are going and thats to rot in hell along with the other irish bishops that are alresdy there and i am not saying this ,it is in the bible.

'Barbaracvm'- Nice to know what concerns the ethical catholic these days. And by the way both the Sisters of Mercy and the Christian Brother's attempts to hide assets have been spotted. You shoud consider yourself lucky you stil have a church to go to. If I had my way you'd be booking Ryanair to Rome for mass. You and the remaining minority of psychological inadequates who need a man in a frock to tel you the difference between right and wrong. A dying church. And rightfully so with Sean Brady the liar at the head of it. A fantastic figurehead he makes. Said that if he was ever in a situation those ethical failures the Irish Bishops found themselves in he'd have resigned. A year later and news of his involvement in silencing abuse victims hits the news and what does he do? Refuse to resign. Not only is he a fraud he is a liar as well. Proven in public. Enjoy the death of your medieval middle eastern cult. I will. Helenmcgonigle and lokionline I'm sorry you had to see a comment from a spiteful little know-nothing obsessed with denying and rejecting evidence from two separate public enquiries but thats what you get with weirdos who believe in Sky Fairies.

Yet another pastoral response by Brady and the RCC. They can saw they are sorry until they are blue in the face but turn over the church files and turn over the living criminals in the heirarchy to secular authorities. It is no wonder the Pope fears secularism, its because the RCC does not want to comply with secular law. Surivors first and foremost want criminal prosecutions, the files from the secret archives and justice - so anyone who thinks its about money isn't willing to treat criminals as criminals. What is up with that? As for me, on top of that, I want my brother and sister back. Helen McGonigle, victim of Fr. Brendan Smyth, convicted on a total of 117 counts of child molestation. Please go to you tube and watch Resurrection of Brendan Smyth, the UTV documentary.

I can only speak for my brother and myself, we were both abused at Marian College in Dublin in 1966. Our requests have had nothing to do with money. We have asked for information about the man who abused us and what happened to him after he was removed from our school - it is quite likely that this man went on to abuse other boys but the Marist Brothers have clammed up about this. We have been waiting for a long time for that information but it has not been forthcoming despite a concerted effort this past year. So let us not let this red herring about a miserly $14m distract from the main issue and that is that the RC Church has been found systemically unable to address this issue - You just have to have been following the news out of Philadelphia this past couple of weeks to see the consequences.

I bet if the $30 million offered were cash in hand they would readily accept the money. Proves my point, they are in it for the money and nothing else.