Madam, – With reference to Bishop Murray and the other bishops criticised in the Murphy report, could I ask if and when the archdioceses of Tuam and Armagh are to be investigated? Surely the former bishop of Raphoe, who several times moved a paedophile priest around his diocese, would have a lot to answer for, unless he had retired or possibly gone to meet his maker.
As a Protestant observer, I cannot understand why there is no move afoot to try to persuade Cardinal Connell to return his red hat, as he was archbishop of Dublin under whom those auxiliary bishops served. Nor can I get my head round the attitude of the present Bishop of Derry to all the sex scandals.
First, I heard him say the bishops had done nothing wrong. Later, he said that no good purpose would be served by forcing them to resign.
The fact that these churchmen did nothing to challenge the culture of clerical abuse and cover-up prevailing at the time seems to have escaped him altogether, as all the abused victims know to their cost.
It is so sad for the Irish Catholic Church that all these bishops have been so reluctant to stand down. By not doing so, they have sent out the wrong signals to a church in such dire need of reform and renewal.
If I were a member of this church, I would feel thoroughly ashamed of these leaders who condoned these abuses for so long and have now resigned only for the good of the church and without accepting any responsibility for the cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I was surprised on reading your Editorial (January 2nd) that, in light of the Murphy report, you seem to be under the impression that Christianity is on the way out and needs to be replaced.
“With Christianity on the back foot,” you ask, “what will take its place?” It was in the context of your review of 2009, where the report naturally featured prominently.
It is fair to say that the institution of the Catholic Church in Ireland is on the back foot as a result of the report – but in what way does this lead you to conclude that Christianity itself is in trouble? At the very least it is an insult to all other Christian denominations, but even more so to the hundreds of thousands of people around this country who still attend church and practise their Christianity.
Christianity is far bigger than any institution and is still very much alive and well in parishes and communities the length and breadth of Ireland. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I have read the letters on the clerical child abuse report faithfully for many weeks now.
I would like to put on the record the many times I found my religion, and the priests who administered it, to be a great crutch in times of stress.
In particular, I received wonderful help from Bishops Jim Moriarty and Éamonn Walsh and local parish priests during my work as a primary school principal and as a mother. I thank them for the good they did for many, many people. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The Murphy report came out a couple of weeks ago and Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy stated he was setting up a helpline for victims of abuse. The number is 01-6663066.
Both my brother and I have called this number many, many times, but we get an answering machine that takes messages.There is no call-back. This is disgraceful.
How are the victims of Irish child abuse supposed to get justice when the Garda will not even answer their telephone? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Is it not passing strange that the Minister for Education has sufficient responsibility for the health and safety of schoolchildren to order school closure nationwide when faced with bad weather but argues in the Supreme Court that responsibility lies with the board of management when faced with abuse claims? – Yours, etc,