Madam, – We feel that the views on the Ryan report by moderate Catholics in Ireland, which we hope make up the majority of our church, have not been properly represented through the ongoing debate in these pages.
As active and practising young members of the Catholic Church we are deeply saddened by what the report has shown and we are deeply horrified to think that such actions could have been perpetrated by men and women who claimed to be living out a relationship with God.
These actions and the ensuing debacle over the apportioning of blame in no way represent us, our faith or the church we hold to be built on such a faith. As Catholics we would ask all other outspoken Catholics to refrain from downplaying or whitewashing the full extent of the horror which has now proven to be part of our most recent history. Furthermore, we abhor any culture of self-preservation which exists within the church and argue that it is incompatible with the faith we profess.
The fact that it is uncomfortable in no way opens the doors for us to continue to insult the abused by minimising their suffering for our own peace of mind. It is too late to change what has been done. We can only move forward in the hope of a new approach.
To date, the response of most of the 18 Orders identified by the Ryan report has been entirely inadequate. The report identifies in particular the Christian Brothers as the order responsible for a system where abuse was considered acceptable. The Christian Brothers seem not to have recognised what it is they have done. They continue to veer away from admitting liability and seem only to move in that direction when forced to do so by external pressures. We believe a debate on the continued presence/survival of the Christian Brothers in Ireland should be initiated both within church circles and the State. It is, after all, within the State’s powers to expel the order.
The orders concerned should accept nothing less than full liability in these abuse cases and there should be no cap on their acceptance of culpability.
How can we remain active members of such a church? As young Catholics we were not complicit in a culture of secrecy and do not wish to be associated with arrogance, egotism and self-preservation. Yet we believe in a God who is Love and we also believe that this God is active through the community of faith which we call the Catholic Church. It is, however, a church filled with and run by sinners. The song is beautiful but the singers are off-key. We remain members of the church in the hope that a humble and, ultimately, more Christ-like future may emerge.
To this end, we, as the future of the church in Ireland, must ensure that children feel safe and welcome. This requires full, uniform and rigorous implementation of the civil and ecclesiastical guidelines. As concerned and frustrated Catholics we intend to write a letter to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, in Rome, imploring him to force the religious orders to accept full liability, whatever the cost. We exhort other Catholics, who are determined that this can never be allowed happen again, to do likewise. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – One of your letter writers (May 27th) suggests that the Catholic hierarchy should organise a national day of atonement. If they do, I won’t be at it.
Such a day needs to be organised by the State and not by people who have reacted so inadequately to child abuse revelations that have been leaking out for the past 20 years. –
Yours, etc,