TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has welcomed the resignation of Bishop Donal Murray, describing it as a sign that the Catholic Church in Ireland is living up to its responsibilities.
In his first public reaction following Bishop Murray’s resignation on Thursday, the Taoiseach said the departure was a welcome indication that those in positions of leadership and responsibility in the church were living up to such standards in the light of the clear findings from the Murphy commission.
In another development yesterday, Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan said his integrity had been questioned by Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and he asked that this be rectified.
Speaking to Seán O'Rourke on RTÉ Radio's News at One, the bishop said "the people of Galway are saying my integrity has been put into question by that statement. I can't clear myself in this case. I don't know whether Archbishop Martin intended that or not but it has put a question mark over my integrity".
He continued: “Now that I have responded to him and given him the evidence he needs, he might reflect on that and see what response he should make to it.”
Bishop Drennan said he had written to Archbishop Martin earlier this week outlining his position. He said he was happy with the way he had handled allegations of clerical child sex abuse while an auxiliary bishop in Dublin from 1997 to 2005, including those not in the sample investigated by the Murphy commission. At the moment he had no intention of resigning.
He had not been called as a witness before the Murphy commission. In the subsequent report he was mentioned in connection with one case. It concerned the handling of concerns about gay priest Fr Guido, who was being over-familiar with male teenagers. The report found that the archdiocese handled the case “correctly”.
There was no response from Archbishop Martin.
But, contacted about Bishop Drennan’s remarks, a spokeswoman for the archbishop drew attention to the Thursday statement following Bishop Murray’s resignation. In it Archbishop Martin said “responsibility must be taken by all who hold a position of authority and collective responsibility”. He continued: “The Murphy report indicates how decisions were taken . . . Accountability must be assumed for that and radical reform is required . . .”
Speaking on the issue in Copenhagen, where he is attending the UN convention on climate change, Mr Cowen said now was a time for leadership in the church.
“I welcome the leadership being shown by Cardinal Seán Brady and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in this regard,” he said. The church and its leadership must be responsible for determining who holds ecclesiastical office, he said.
“There must be no doubt about the determination of the State to ensure that the law of the land applies fully . . . and that there is full accountability for ensuring that the highest standards of child protection are applied consistently and effectively,” he said.