Tragedy of Magdalene Laundries

Madam, – Those who should be leading the campaign for justice on behalf of those who were brutalised and abused in the Magdalene…

Madam, – Those who should be leading the campaign for justice on behalf of those who were brutalised and abused in the Magdalene Laundries are the very religious congregations who staffed these places, where such horror was inflicted.

As it is, Sr Marianne O’Connor of Cori recently criticised the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) for being allegedly “disingenuous and inaccurate” in reporting that attempts were being made to deliberately obstruct an audit into child safeguarding and protection in Irish dioceses and religious orders.

It is quite clear, from the NBSCCC’s annual report, that it has been repeatedly frustrated by some people, in some dioceses and religious orders, in its attempts to establish, honesty, transparency and accountability in significant sectors of the Irish Catholic Church. This reality – exemplified by the reported fact that only one in four allegations of clerical sexual abuse had been reported to the NBSCCC – is a perpetuation of the scandal that has all but destroyed faith in and goodwill towards the church for a great number of people.

The real masters and mistresses of being “disingenuous and inaccurate” when it comes to clerical abuse are the so-called diocesan and religious church leaders who covered up crime and enabled abusers. These are the very ones who have slithered their way through every legal loophole they could find, so as to evade being answerable and responsible. Ian Elliott, overseer of the NBSCCC should not spare the blushes of those individuals who have obstructed his work.

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The Holy Father has asked for openness and honesty, so as to establish truth. Truth is still a long way off in far too many cases. Bishops and heads of religious orders who are non-responsive are guilty of inflicting further grave harm on the mission and witness of Christ’s church. They should be removed from ministry by the Pope and, where necessary, prosecuted for reckless endangerment of the young. – Yours, etc,

Fr PATRICK McCAFFERTY,

Lower Rathmines Road,

Dublin 6.