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Cardinal O’Malley will wash feet of Irish abuse victims today

Boston prelate’s dramatic gesture to heal wounds of church

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Sunday, February 20, 2011, 7:36 AM

Updated Sunday, February 20, 2011, 7:36 AM

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Cardinal Sean O'Malley

Cardinal Sean O’Malley will wash the feet of Irish abuse victims in an extraordinary church service in Dublin today.

O’Malley is in Ireland as part of a Vatican-ordered investigation into how the Irish church is dealing with the fallout of the horrific abuse scandals that have rocked the church to its foundation there.

In Dublin, he will help preside over a “service of lament and repentance," which will be written in part by abuse victims. As a token of his remorse he will wash the feet of the abuse victims.

O’Malley’s move is seen as a definitive moment by many in the church, a final acknowledgement after years of prevarication and denial that the abuse was horrific and deeply damaging.

Observers credit Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin with cutting through the obfuscation and cover-ups. After the Murphy report on pedophile priests in the Dublin archdiocese, Martin made a plain spoken apology that was welcomed by abuse victims.

“As Archbishop of Dublin and as Diarmuid Martin, I offer to each and every survivor my apology, my sorrow, and my shame for what happened to them," he said. “I am aware, however, that no words of apology will ever be sufficient."

“When it first came out, the church was very defensive — ‘This is just a few rotten apples,’" the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University told the Boston Globe.

He said many church leaders have gained “a much better understanding of the situation, so they’ve done a better job."

Experts compared the legalistic apology nine years ago from Cardinal Egan in New York to the blunt apologies of recent times.

Back then Egan said: “If in hindsight we also discover that mistakes may have been made as regards prompt removal of priests and assistance to victims, I am deeply sorry."

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42 Comments

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IAPRINCESS | Apr 06, 2011, 01:20 PM EDT

In time I hope and pray thaty more innocent priests will join the protestors and victims in their fight to get statute of limitations abolished in these crimes and that they will be able to speak without being "silenced" for their brave stand. God Help Them All.

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Mavaureen | Feb 22, 2011, 05:41 PM EST

Okey Dokey...RCC has "confessed" (?)its sin; words of apology are not atonement, nor a firm resolution of reparation and mending their ways.!!! So, for their penance...A complete list of ALL living pedophile priests with their current "hideaway" residences and current status within the Church. (A defrocked priest is still GUILTY...and by the hierarchy edict: "Once a priest, ALWAYS a priest!", so no divorces allowed.) RCC should bear all expenses to return the fugitives to country of offense to face their accusers and stand trial for their crimes. RCC is to bear all legal costs of accusers, also, wages lost and medical expenses incurred due to the trauma of these RAPES!!! Oh yes, and any monetary awards to the victims, although, no amount of money can compense those abused children, who still live within their adult bodies, for the physical and mental torture they have endured. Rather than a Cardinal to wash a stranger's feet, pedophiles should wash the feet of every one of their victims in the jurisdiction of the original crime, or even in St. Peter's Square, if that is where the victim so chooses. There are many who will call this revenge, I look upon it as JUSTICE...shall we poll the victims???

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mamaginnty | Feb 22, 2011, 10:53 AM EST

wow, I have to admit I am getting feeble, put my comment below ..Cowboys and Indians into the wrong story. oops.

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mamaginnty | Feb 22, 2011, 10:49 AM EST

Any one old enough to remember America's Propaganda films. Cowboys and Indians.

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Bernadett | Feb 22, 2011, 10:06 AM EST

There is an old Irish saying THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE EATING so lets see how sorry they realy are.

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barneyjo | Feb 21, 2011, 08:08 PM EST

@mamaginnty - well, if it is a hoodwink by the Pope or whoever, then it wont wash, and the remenants of the faithful will continue to vote with their feet. The time for "wool pulling" is over, because they would only be kidding themselves!! If Arch-bishop Martin's hand is in this, then maybe it is something more - judgement reserved!!

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mamaginnty | Feb 21, 2011, 07:10 PM EST

3 percent, jasus, EVERY small village in Ireland can name at least one priest who got caught, and that's only in the last decade. This had been going on from day one when priest took over Ireland. This Cardinal did not wash the feet of his own accord. He was told to by the pope. Any priest or Bishop who is over 40 yrs old, knew what was going on. As far as blaming parents, no way. They did give you a clip on the ear if you said anything about the church, they actually thought the sun shone out of every priests ar.....e. The church teachings had them all brain washed. It was a grave sin to talk in anyway about sex, yet the clergy were the sexually depraved monsters.

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barneyjo | Feb 21, 2011, 05:10 PM EST

@S7McCabe - "Three precent of our Priests were sick" and ninety seven percent were not!! And this is justification for what exactly in your view? And as regards your view about the 500 Methodist Ministers, as I understand it, over 500 Catholic Priests IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE!! have been indicted on abuse charges. A percentage of those were from Ireland who were shipped there to get them out of the way. Now factor in the rest of Europe, Australia, South America. All of these countries have contributed to the "three percent" of Pries Abusers you speak of; in world terms, thats a pretty big percentage!!

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S7McCabe | Feb 21, 2011, 04:18 PM EST

I believe that Cardinal Egan DID indeed apologize. What do you want, blood? What more can be said? I deeply believe that all of the good Priests that we have are taking a beating for something they didn't do. Did they know about it? I have no idea. Those who read this don't know my sins. Three precent of our Priests were sick, to say the least. That leaves 97% who are good Priests. Also, I've only seen one article about the 500 Methodist Ministers who did the same thing. Then there is the infamous Jimmy Swaggart who got caught twice. Just a blub on the web. Also, when a Priest gives his homily, he can look out on Dad's who sexually abuse their daughters, or sons, teachers who abuse their students. They don't apologize to anyone. They rarely are found out. Let's all forgive and try to go forward. God has forgiven them and we MUST forgive them too. If you don't, you are not a follower of Christ.

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Gearoid4 | Feb 21, 2011, 12:55 PM EST

The washing of the feet has deep biblical significance. Jesus washed the feet of his apostles during the last supper as recorded in the gospel of John. Our lord was showing that He had come not to be served but to serve. Likewise this gesture during the rite of service of repentance is the external manifestation of a deep shame and respect for the victims of the terrible blight of sexual abuse within clerical ranks. I hope that this ceremony is carried out in every diocese and archdiocese in Ireland with the incumbent bishops and pastors carrying out the same acts. Justice of course must be seen to be done in terms of sentences for the malefactors in court cases and monetary recompense for victims. I believe also that church ceremonies involving such as the washing of feet are welcome steps on the long journey back for the Church.

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DannyBoyG | Feb 21, 2011, 11:56 AM EST

The church and their constant words of apology are a farce and mean absolutely nothing. They don't mean it and they certainly do not really care! Cardinal O'Malley want to show us you and the church are really sorry...go to Rome...bring Bernard Law back to the US and put the criminal in jail where he belongs. Washing the victims feet! Why not just invite to the ceremony making John Paul II a saint. Another phony who looked the other way. It all makes me want to throw up! Disgusting!

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jamieLM | Feb 21, 2011, 09:38 AM EST

Lots of posturing by the RCC hierarchy. This is a "surface" act that does ZERO to get at the root of the problem and make meaningful changes. These criminal pedophile priests did life-long damage to their victims. They were protected by a system of power, authority, and intimidation. All the feet-washing in the world doesn't mean a "diddly-do" if the Vatican, and everyone else who kept silent, doesn't get the message being sent by the victims and the members of the CC.

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Bernadett | Feb 21, 2011, 07:56 AM EST

Can anyone out there tell me what are the vows thees men and woman have to take to become priests and nuns??? because its my understanding they are bound to live by them.The only way the church will suffer for there sins is if there welt is affected

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fatherbob | Feb 21, 2011, 07:43 AM EST

Sean O'Malley has yet to reveal the names of the priest abusers in the Boston Archdiocese. It's easy for him to go across the sea and express his so-called concern for victims. Another stunt by the Catholic hierarchy!

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Bernadett | Feb 21, 2011, 07:02 AM EST

been to the big sham today. I cried most of the way trough it and all i can say is Cardinal O Malley should have stayed in Boston for all the good he has done. VICTIMS STILL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE IN THE COURTS this is not the way it should be.

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