Vatican is accountable for sexual abuse says priest

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Thursday, October 7, 2010, 7:15 AM

Updated Thursday, October 7, 2010, 7:31 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

8 Comments

Cardinal Brady, right, and Archbishop Clifford outside the Vatican in Rome this week

Fr. Sean McDonagh, an expert on ecology and the environment, said on Tuesday that Ireland’s four Catholic archbishops, attending a meeting with Vatican officials this week, should hold the Vatican responsible for the clerical abuse.

Speaking to the Irish Independent newspaper this week McDonagh, a co-founder of the Association of Irish Priests, said the Irish delegation who are in Rome this week should join forces with a nine-member international team of investigators to seek the truth from the Vatican.

Said McDonagh, "I believe the Irish archbishops and the team of visitors should begin by scrutinizing Rome's own handling of sex abuse allegations.”

McDonagh spoke to the Independent about his views on the Vatican covering up the scandal involving Fr. Marcel Maciel, a Mexican priest who molested several children.

McDonagh described it as "one of the greatest failures in terms of accountability any where in the church".

The Irish delegation is led by Cardinal Sean Brady and the investigators by the senior English churchman, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor.

Brady was also accompanied by Archbishops Diarmuid Martin, Dermot Clifford and Michael Neary.

In March Pope Benedict said he was to seek an investigation into the Irish abuses cases and this week a timetable is expected to be drawn up.

Also in Rome this week are the hand-chosen church men from the U.S. and Canada who have been given the assignment by the Vatican to delve deeper into the findings from the Ryan and Murphy reports and present them to Pope Benedict.

As well as their investigations into the reports, the selected group are to examine the current child protection schemes and to see if they can come up with better solutions.

Nster.com

E-mail

8 Comments

See all comments

SeamusMor | Oct 09, 2010, 08:22 PM EDT

The Vatican dealt with clerical sexual abuse at first as a sin. Sinners repented and were reassigned. Sexual abusers were later recognized as mentally ill and were then sent for treatment before being reassigned. The clergy lived under Cannon Law, and dealt with the issue "in house." Pope Benedict has ordered cases of sexual abuse by clergy to be reported to civil authorities. The Church changes direction about as quickly as a super tanker, and is now, finally on a new and correct course. It is unfair to look back at actions in the past and judge them looking through through the prism of today's understanding.

Report abuse

Carroll09 | Oct 09, 2010, 07:15 AM EDT

The Murphy Report found that virtually no one actually knew about Crimen Solicitationis - 4.24 "An unusual situation had existed whereby a document setting out the procedure for dealing with clerical child abuse was in existence but virtually no one knew about it or used it". This seems to have been the case worldwide. However, Crimen Solicitationis gave directions solely for canonical investigations into the crime of solicitation in the confessional- that was the purpose of the document, that's what the secrecy referred to: it did not prevent a bishop or anyone else from reporting a crime to the civil authorities (one high profile case where the civil authorities were informed is that of Fr Lawrence Murphy in Wisconsin). There was certainly a culture of secrecy, but it is clear the Crimen Solicitationis was not needed for this. Also, secrecy is not unique to Church investigations- in civil cases, restrictions are often put on witnesses to protect their identity or to rule out anything which could prejudice the case. Secrecy in canonical cases served 3 purposes- allowing witnesses to speak freely and confidentially, allowing the accused to protect his good name until guilt is established or ruled out, allowing victims to come forward without exposing themselves to publicity. Indeed C.S. says in paragraph 15 that anyone who is aware of the crime is obliged to come forward "lest the offense remain occult and unpunished and always with inestimable detriment to souls".

Report abuse

macalister | Oct 08, 2010, 11:39 PM EDT

The actions of the bishops,archbishops and cardinals will not be examined. Hello ! Were they not priests before they got to be bishops,archbishops and cardinals? As bishops and archbishops,didn't they pass the priests from parish to parish,aware of what they done.If their "actions" shouldn't be examined,who the hell should?

Report abuse

Intercessor | Oct 08, 2010, 09:36 PM EDT

Two words: "Crimen Sollicitationis," sums up the Vatican's responsibility in the international coverups and the orchestrated mishandling of cases of Priest/Nun.clergy Pedophilia! "The good-old-boys-network," protects itself. Has anyone else noticed that a prime piece of examination has been taken off of the table? The bishops', archbishops' and cardinals' actions will not be examined, and thus will not be openly criticized by the Papal Delegation! Now really, does that come as any surprise? This whole exercise is just for show! No true investigation will ever happen unless bishops, archbishops and cardinals, past and present, are held accountable for following the Vatican directive, "Crimen Sollicitationis." For a read that will curl your hair, Google, "English Version, Crimen Sollicitationis." Read it and Weep! Then ask, "Why aren't the actions of the bishops, archbishops and cardinals being examined by the Vatican?" Could it be if they were, the Vatican would need to take direct responsibility for the way the Priest Pedophilia Scandal was covered up?

Report abuse

Carroll09 | Oct 08, 2010, 10:31 AM EDT

It is well-known that the Legionaries used their wealth to gain favour with certain Vatican officials in order to prevent an investigation. However, it is no surprise that within months of Pope Benedict's election, he initiated an investigation, had Marciel disciplined, and this year we witnessed the results of the Pope's investigations into the Legionaries, where he strongly denounced the actions of Marciel. Of course that doesn't excuse anyone's crimes or wrongdoing, but I think Fr McDonagh should clarify exactly what he means by "the Vatican" which is a blanket term (like "the Church") whereby one can be seen to blame everyone without blaming anyone. I think Fr McDonagh should welcome the Irish Visitation, unless he's worried that it will expose the liberal agenda he is pushing with his new priests' association. The Irish Church needs to get its house in order and for an Irish priest that should be his primary concern; Pope Benedict has shown himself to be serious about dealing with the problem of abuse- the Irish Church needs to let him do that while we zone in and deal with our own problems. Ultimately, Fr McDonagh's attitude seems to be one of denial - if we all agree that the Church in Ireland needs a cleanup, we should not have anything to fear from an Apostolic Visitation. It seems to me that he wants to take the focus off Ireland, and I don't think we can afford to.

Report abuse

Dublinjas | Oct 07, 2010, 07:42 PM EDT

How does anyone listen to these peddlers of Gross Superstition.

Report abuse

barneyjo | Oct 07, 2010, 07:22 PM EDT

Good of you to acknowledge that the Vatican is accountable for what it did. However you must also be bound to accept the other side of the argument in relation to local priests and their accountability for not taking action. Cardinal Brady recently got into real trouble when he was accused of not doing enough to prevent a serial priest abuser from molesting children. His defence curiously enough was that he was only following secret order issued directly from the Vatican. "Pot calling the Kettle Black maybe"??

Report abuse

mbernice | Oct 07, 2010, 08:08 AM EDT

In terms of Maciel, I agree, the Vatican is accountable for what it did. On the other hand, if the priest is going to hold the Vatican to such a level and I'm assuming as an environmentalist, he subscribes to an ecosystems' approach, he also needs to acknowledge his own accountability in the Irish scandal. He's closer to the ground that the Vatican on not only observing behavior but doing something about it. If he didn't see it, what makes him think people in Rome can see it. Meanwhile, individuals committed the crimes, a culture at the schools and institutions fostered it. The question is does it exist in the present. If so, this is more important than what happened in the past. This is not to say that the victims of past abuse are not important. Just that is Ireland's house in order? Seems to me that the Pope (aka-the Vatican) has given the recipe for spiritually cleaning it up. Do the good father and his cronies in the Association for Irish Priests promote Friday penance, Eucharistic Adoration, etc.. If not then there advocacy will have no effect and they remain not part of the solution but part of the problem. Why? They have no clue about the spiritual dimension and see advocacy and social justice as their tools, not their and our relationship with God.

Report abuse