And my interpretation, right or wrong.
I have been following closely the events that have rent asunder the Catholic Church in Ireland. Well I am an honorary Irish citizen and I have close ties to Ireland, a country I love. No one can deny the truth of a multiplicity of heinous sexual abuses of minors by priests especially in Dublin Archdiocese over a long period. The famous Murphy report outlines it abundantly. I didn’t read it. The report faults the Church for doing nothing to stop them and worse for covering them up. All true of course, or is it?
The Church was certainly at fault but here is a point before we start jumping on the Church. Do you know that all evidence in Murphy’s report comes from Church files and nothing from public records? Isn’t that odd? What were state agencies like Guardi doing during these times if this was rampant and common knowledge? Nothing.
My point here: there was negligence all round. Not just Church. Problem was that unfortunately no one knew what to do with these rogue priests, not even Rome, I bet. It does not excuse it but makes it understandable. I am told that in Ireland the government, maybe wisely, has stepped in and paid public money to the victims. I don’t know the details. I also hear that the Christians Brothers and other orders have paid out millions and are almost bankrupt. Some priests have been jailed and rightly so, (I knew one of them) those that could be prosecuted by law; those that got away because of term limits were defrocked and dealt with. Many have died. The Irish Church has instituted a no tolerance policy, just as good if not better than US. I mean the problem has been dealt with as far as humanly possible. The Irish government acknowledges that, only some opposition members are trying to milk the issue.
One Bishop (Limerick’s, whom I knew) under pressure resigned and his resignation was accepted by the Pope. Wisely or not I am not sure, but from the beginning the Archbishop of Dublin took a strong position in defense of total transparency — let’s release all records without hesitation, no matter who or what, and was a strong advocate for the victims and associated himself closely with the media. This forceful approach alienated him with priests and bishops who felt unfairly thrown under the bus by him. Who is he? The Pope, they asked? In public he called for the resignation of all bishops mentioned in the Murphy report. To many people (including his own priests) his position seemed rather extreme. Others lamented that there was never an official reply by the church to the Murphy’s report except caving in fully. Therein the impression is given that everyone knew and was a conniver, which clearly was not the case. No matter how profoundly disturbing, criminal and scandalous, the phenomenon was confined, not wholesale.
The Pope calls the Irish Bishops to the Vatican and for two days they talk secretly and frankly. Everybody is allowed to say his own bit. The Pope listens to all, asks questions, reflects and decides to do nothing drastic, dramatic, except to counsel a huge mea culpa, ashes and sackcloth for the bishops. No head rolls; no resignation requested, even though the Bishops offered to if the Pope so wished. Now Archbishop Martin, who had previous private meetings at the Vatican, had given the impression that the Pope would do something. So he wasn’t too happy about that outcome. He even missed the press conference. He returned to Dublin for Ash Wednesday where he was attacked by the victims because he had not been able to deliver the bishops heads on a platter.
Did the Pope stare into the abyss and blink? I think not. The Pope’s decision was wise and pondered. All the bishops concerned have the support of their people. I am sure the Pope knew that. Those bellyaching about heads to roll are the victims (understandable) and the media (none of their business)? Drastic and dramatic gestures may be good and praiseworthy, but how wise is it for a Roman Pontiff to succumb to pressure? You’ve got to think of the entire Church.
Wisely the Vatican insisted that the problem belongs to the Irish Church and only the Irish church can solve it & heal itself. I like that. The Church is no Global Corp. but the Body of Christ. There was talk of reducing the # of dioceses but the bishops weren’t too keen, and the Vatican didn’t press. If closing a church can create such upheaval, imagine if you suddenly shut a diocese? People get attached to traditions. Let’s suppose that the Pope had accepted all the resignations? It would have plunged Ireland into chaos as the result of the famous unintended consequences of good intentions?
As bishops were meeting in Rome in Germany a fresh scandal was breaking open and the German Church was jumping on it immediately. Competently. When US scandals broke open, Pope JP II was old and infirm. Nobody had a clue. Now the Vatican and the Catholic Church are on the ball!! I know the victims are still unhappy, frustrated calling for blood, scapegoats/culpability (actionable?). There are only a certain number of ways to say sorry, pretty much used up. I also detect a desire to leave this terrible episode behind & move on.
