Madam, – Bishop Pat Buckley’ s letter of February 7th lays bare all the rhetoric, equivocation and dishonesty of the Catholic Hierarchy and exposes the issues at the core of the church’s decline in this country and elsewhere. He deserves our admiration and support for his courage and honesty. He speaks of the dark legacy of clerical and religious sexual abuse and there is no doubting his genuine disgust at all such acts and for those who covered them up.
In my opinion, the term sexual abuse is an entirely inadequate way of referring to the systematic torture, rape and psychological mutilation of young children. The Catholic Church has a long history of covering up such abuse but no excuses, no extenuating circumstances and no special privilege can mitigate the consequences for children of this barbaric act. Any effort by the hierarchy to protect clergy from the legal consequences of such acts, such as its refusal to cooperate fully and without reservation with the Garda authorities, is contrary to the very concept of morality. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – In response to Bishop Pat Buckley’s letter of last Saturday concerning an independent Catholic Church in Ireland, I would like to say: “Dear Bishop Buckley, Welcome to the Church of Ireland”! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – So “Bishop” Pat Buckley wants to reconvene an Irish Catholic Church, independent of Rome.
Forgive me, but I thought that is precisely what he himself did, many years ago. Obviously, he does not have many followers.
No, in spite of its faults and failings, the majority of us Irish Catholics will remain faithful to Rome and the successor of St Peter. – Yours, etc,