Murphy Report
Encyclopedia
The Murphy Report is the brief name of the report of an investigation conducted by government of Ireland
into the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin
. It was released in 2009, a few months after the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse
(Ryan Report) chaired by Seán Ryan
, a similar inquiry which dealt with abuses in industrial schools controlled by Catholic religious orders.
programme Prime Time
broadcast a special report entitled Cardinal Secrets containing accounts of children abused by Catholic priests serving in the Archdiocese of Dublin
, where complaints had been made at higher levels and effectively ignored, both by the church and by the national police force, the Garda Síochána
(colloquially referred to as the "Garda" or the "gardaí", the latter word meaning "policemen"). This publicity led to the passage of the "Commission of Investigation Act 2004" mandating the establishment of a "Commission of Investigation, Dublin Archdiocese" to examine the manner in which allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests over the period 1975 to 2004 were dealt with by Church and State authorities. This act was implemented in March 2006. The Commission of Investigation has been headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy, a Circuit Court
judge. The original brief was to report in 18 months, but such was the volume of evidence and allegations concerning the abusive behaviour of a sample batch of just 46 priests that time extensions had to be allowed.
This report was publicly released on 26 November 2009. It concluded that "the Dublin Archdiocese's preoccupations in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse, at least until the mid 1990s, were the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church, and the preservation of its assets. All other considerations, including the welfare of children and justice for victims, were subordinated to these priorities. The Archdiocese did not implement its own canon law rules and did its best to avoid any application of the law of the State". The 720-page report said that it has "no doubt that clerical child sexual abuse was covered up" from January 1975 to May 2004. As charted by the Murphy commission, the complaints of parents and their children were ignored and other families placed in immediate danger as prelate
s from John Charles McQuaid
onwards suppressed scandals and took refuge in canon law
to protect offenders at the expense of children. Complainants alleged that most uninvolved priests turned a blind eye to their allegations.
It was found that some acts of abuse had taken place inside the Pro-Cathedral
, which has been the archiepiscopal seat of the Archbishop of Dublin
since 1825.
The Report states at section 1.32: "Another consequence of the obsessive concern with secrecy and the avoidance of scandal was the failure of successive Archbishops and bishops to report complaints to the Gardaí prior to 1996. The Archbishops, bishops and other officials cannot claim that they did not know that child sexual abuse was a crime. As citizens of the State, they have the same obligations as all other citizens to uphold the law and report serious crimes to the authorities."
, must be fully scrutinized by the Dublin commission. "It is a huge concern that, given the resources that were provided to the gardaí when the investigation began four years ago, it hasn't produced anything of substance," said Colm O'Gorman
, director of the victim-support charity, One in Four.
On 18 September 2006, an article in the Irish Independent
stated that a four-year Garda inquiry into allegations that the Catholic Church covered up child sex abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese had failed to produce sufficient evidence to lay charges against any senior Church figures. Journalist Dearbhail McDonald wrote that "Twenty detectives have been assigned to the so-called 'God Squad' since 2002. But despite evidence that priests were transferred to other parishes, where they continued to abuse, and despite public admissions by senior figures that not all relevant information was passed to the civil authorities, no charges will be laid against senior members of the church."
against a sample of 46 priests between 1 January 1975 and 30 April 2004.
On 19 November 2009, the High Court authorised the release of an edited version of the report, with references to three people removed.
On 26 November 2009, the report was published. The report consisted of three volumes and cost a total of €
3.6 million. The investigating commission identified 320 people who had complained of sexual abuse between 1975 and 2004, and noted that 130 complaints had been made since May 2004. It stated that the four archbishops, John Charles McQuaid
, Dermot Ryan, Kevin McNamara
, and Desmond Connell
, who were serving during that time, handled complaints badly. One of the priests who admitted abuse, stated he did so more than 100 times. Another did so fortnightly for 25 years. Another died in 2002, professing that he had done nothing wrong. Along with clergy, the Gardaí were accused in the report of covering up the scandal.
"Because of acts or omissions, individuals who sought assistance did not always receive the level of response or protection which any citizen in trouble is entitled to expect," said Ireland's police commissioner, Fachtna Murphy
. Murphy added he was "deeply sorry".
The government of Ireland said it would make amends to the victims. Dermot Ahern
, the justice minister, promised that "the persons who committed these dreadful crimes — no matter when they happened — will continue to be pursued".
Ronan Fanning, a History Professor at University College Dublin
, wrote an op-ed
on 6 December 2009, titled "The age of our craven deference is finally over", that started: "Historic is a term from which professional historians traditionally recoil and rightly so. The banalities of popular usage have debased its meaning beyond redemption. But there are still rare events that not only deserve but demand to be described as historic. The publication of the Murphy report is one such event: a truly historic landmark in the sad and squalid story of Church-State relations in independent Ireland.
s of Dublin should be prosecuted
or resign; some of their current parishioners felt that they should not resign if they had not been prosecuted for any offence. After a gap of several weeks, and with considerable protestations of their innocence, four had tendered their resignations in late 2009:
Calls were also made for the resignation of Martin Drennan
, Bishop of Galway
, and of other and more senior prelates formerly associated with the archdiocese. Bishop Drennan replied that he had handled abuse allegations correctly.
The Church in Ireland is led by 23 bishops. The resigning bishops will remain within the hierarchy with the title of "Bishop Emeritus", and are entitled to pensions. The effect of resignation is to remove them from the duties of pastoral care
. Bishop Emeritus is the usual title of all retired bishops, and does not denote shame or past misconduct of any sort.
In August 2010 Pope Benedict XVI
decided not to accept the resignations of Bishops Field and Walsh.
A Vatican
spokesman, the Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Leanza
, has said that it was "ashamed" of the Report, and he undertook to assist in the forthcoming Report into allegations of child sex abuse by priests in the Diocese of Cloyne
.
On 11 December 2009 Pope Benedict XVI
said: "The Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the Report, including questions concerning the governance of local Church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children. The Holy Father intends to address a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Ireland in which he will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation."
"The Holy Father shares the outrage, betrayal and shame felt by so many of the faithful in Ireland, and he is united with them in prayer at this difficult time in the life of the church. The Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents. He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large."
had been heard. On 15 December 2010 the chapter was published by court order. Walsh was sentenced to 123 years in prison (in reality, 16 years) for repeated abuses on several boys, mainly in Ballyfermot
.
It emerged that Walsh's paedophilic nature was known to his church superiors when he was still a student priest in the 1970s. He was laicised by the Dublin Archdiocese in 1992, a decision that Walsh appealed to Rome. The appeal was denied in 1995; the allegations that led to both hearings were not revealed to the Irish police
. Walsh had been given the pseudonym
in the Murphy Report on its first publication in 2009 as: "Father Jovito". As well as the church's evasions over a decade, it emerged that the local police also knew of complaints against Father Walsh in 1990-91, but took no action. The Murphy Commission summarised that: "Fr Tony Walsh is probably the most notorious child sexual abuser to have come to the attention of the Commission".
group publicised thousands of recent United States diplomatic cables
. One had been sent by the US Embassy in Rome
on 26 February 2010. The author commented that the Murphy Commission had written to the Pope for information in any Vatican files, but the requests had not even been acknowledged.
The Vatican argued that such requests should be made through the Irish government via diplomatic
channels, as the Holy See
is a sovereign
state. It was said in the cable that -
After several requests Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone wrote to the Irish embassy in Rome insisting that diplomatic channels be used. Though his government had set up the Murphy Commission to be quasi-independent, Irish Prime Minister
Brian Cowen
agreed with the Cardinal. There is some significant dispute over the facts of the response of the Vatican.
The Commission argued that it had written to Pope Benedict XVI
in his capacity as head of the Church, and not as the head of state
of the Vatican City
. It said that it could not involve the Irish Government, as some past actions and omissions by the government's departments were also under investigation.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
into the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin
Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin
The sexual abuse scandal in Dublin archdiocese is a major chapter in the series of sexual abuse cases in Ireland. The Irish government commissioned a statutory enquiry in 2006 that published the Murphy Report in November 2009....
. It was released in 2009, a few months after the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse
Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. It is commonly known in Ireland as the Ryan Commission , after its chair, Justice Seán Ryan...
(Ryan Report) chaired by Seán Ryan
Seán Ryan (Irish judge)
Seán Ryan is a judge of the Irish High Court.As a barrister, he was Senior Counsel to the inquiry into abuse in the Catholic diocese of Ferns , and was chairman of the Compensation Advisory Committee that prepared guidelines on compensation to be paid to abuse survivors at the Residential...
, a similar inquiry which dealt with abuses in industrial schools controlled by Catholic religious orders.
Background
In October 2002, the televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programme Prime Time
Prime Time
Prime Time is an Irish news analysis, current affairs and politics programme. It is broadcast on RTÉ One on Tuesday and Thursday nights between 21:30 and 22:10. It is currently presented by Miriam O'Callaghan, who has presented the programme since its commencement in 1996...
broadcast a special report entitled Cardinal Secrets containing accounts of children abused by Catholic priests serving in the Archdiocese of Dublin
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dublin, , is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in eastern Ireland centred around the republic's capital city – Dublin. The see of Dublin was raised to the status of a Metropolitan Province by the Synod of Kells in 1152. Its jurisdiction includes much of the Province of...
, where complaints had been made at higher levels and effectively ignored, both by the church and by the national police force, the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
(colloquially referred to as the "Garda" or the "gardaí", the latter word meaning "policemen"). This publicity led to the passage of the "Commission of Investigation Act 2004" mandating the establishment of a "Commission of Investigation, Dublin Archdiocese" to examine the manner in which allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests over the period 1975 to 2004 were dealt with by Church and State authorities. This act was implemented in March 2006. The Commission of Investigation has been headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy, a Circuit Court
Circuit Court (Ireland)
The Circuit Court is an intermediate level court of local and limited jurisdiction in the Republic of Ireland which hears both civil and criminal matters. On the criminal side the Circuit Court hears criminal matters tried on indictment with a judge and jury, except for certain serious crimes...
judge. The original brief was to report in 18 months, but such was the volume of evidence and allegations concerning the abusive behaviour of a sample batch of just 46 priests that time extensions had to be allowed.
Emphasis on the avoidance of scandal
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
s from John Charles McQuaid
John Charles McQuaid
John Charles McQuaid, C.S.Sp. was the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between December 1940 and February 1972.- Early life 1895-1914:...
onwards suppressed scandals and took refuge in canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
to protect offenders at the expense of children. Complainants alleged that most uninvolved priests turned a blind eye to their allegations.
It was found that some acts of abuse had taken place inside the Pro-Cathedral
St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
St Mary's Church , known also as St Mary's Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, is a pro-cathedral and is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.-Status as "pro-cathedral":...
, which has been the archiepiscopal seat of the Archbishop of Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic)
The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Archdiocese of Dublin. The Church of Ireland has a similar role, heading the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. In both cases, the Archbishop is also Primate of Ireland...
since 1825.
The Report states at section 1.32: "Another consequence of the obsessive concern with secrecy and the avoidance of scandal was the failure of successive Archbishops and bishops to report complaints to the Gardaí prior to 1996. The Archbishops, bishops and other officials cannot claim that they did not know that child sexual abuse was a crime. As citizens of the State, they have the same obligations as all other citizens to uphold the law and report serious crimes to the authorities."
Timeframe
In the period from the 1940s to 2004 over 2,800 priests and religious served in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Though the Commission heard about alleged abuse by 67 priests from the 1940s, it limited its timeframe from 1975 to 2004. Out of 172 named priests, the Commission decided that 102 priests were "within [its] remit". This was further limited to a "sample" of 320 complainants making allegations about 46 priests. Among these 46, eleven either confessed to, or had been convicted of abuse, there was one clear case of false accusation, and two priests had not been accused of abuse but suspicions had been raised.Insurance against litigation
The Commission was told that the archdiocese was "on a learning curve" regarding child abuse allegations, but found that it had taken out insurance annually from 1987 against the risk of legal costs and damages arising from child sex abuse litigation -- "At the time the Archdiocese took out insurance in 1987, Archbishop Kevin McNamaraKevin McNamara (archbishop)Kevin McNamara was a senior Roman Catholic academic and bishop who in the early 1980s was seen as one of the most outspoken members of the Irish hierarchy on issues such as abortion and divorce...
, Archbishop Dermot Ryan and Archbishop John Charles McQuaidJohn Charles McQuaidJohn Charles McQuaid, C.S.Sp. was the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between December 1940 and February 1972.- Early life 1895-1914:...
had had, between them, available information on complaints against at least 17 priests operating under the aegis of the Dublin Archdiocese. The taking out of insurance was an act proving knowledge of child sexual abuse as a potential major cost to the Archdiocese and is inconsistent with the view that Archdiocesan officials were still "on a learning curve‟ at a much later date, or were lacking in an appreciation of the phenomenon of clerical child sex abuse."
Status of the Garda investigation
Representatives of victims of abuse are quoted as saying that the status of the investigation conducted by Ireland's police service, the Garda SíochánaGarda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
, must be fully scrutinized by the Dublin commission. "It is a huge concern that, given the resources that were provided to the gardaí when the investigation began four years ago, it hasn't produced anything of substance," said Colm O'Gorman
Colm O'Gorman
Colm O'Gorman is an Irishman from County Wexford, founder of One in Four, former senator, and current executive director of Amnesty International in Ireland...
, director of the victim-support charity, One in Four.
On 18 September 2006, an article in the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
stated that a four-year Garda inquiry into allegations that the Catholic Church covered up child sex abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese had failed to produce sufficient evidence to lay charges against any senior Church figures. Journalist Dearbhail McDonald wrote that "Twenty detectives have been assigned to the so-called 'God Squad' since 2002. But despite evidence that priests were transferred to other parishes, where they continued to abuse, and despite public admissions by senior figures that not all relevant information was passed to the civil authorities, no charges will be laid against senior members of the church."
DPP failure to prosecute cases
Many persons had complained about the failure of the Irish Police or the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute abuse cases. The Commission noted that "the most frequent reason for deciding not to prosecute was the perceived delay in making the complaints... the DPP's approach to the time period that would be regarded as undue delay changed considerably over the period. In the 1980s, a delay of as little as a year might be considered to be a bar to prosecution whereas, in the 2000s, delays of up to 40 years are not considered a bar to prosecutions."Release of the report in November 2009
On 15 October 2009, the High Court ruled that the report could be released except for Chapter 19, which contained material relating to three upcoming cases. The earliest of the three cases was expected to be heard in April 2010 and the High Court will reconsider the issue of publishing Chapter 19 in May 2010. The report considers how the Catholic Church handled allegations of sexual abuseSexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
against a sample of 46 priests between 1 January 1975 and 30 April 2004.
On 19 November 2009, the High Court authorised the release of an edited version of the report, with references to three people removed.
On 26 November 2009, the report was published. The report consisted of three volumes and cost a total of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
3.6 million. The investigating commission identified 320 people who had complained of sexual abuse between 1975 and 2004, and noted that 130 complaints had been made since May 2004. It stated that the four archbishops, John Charles McQuaid
John Charles McQuaid
John Charles McQuaid, C.S.Sp. was the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between December 1940 and February 1972.- Early life 1895-1914:...
, Dermot Ryan, Kevin McNamara
Kevin McNamara (archbishop)
Kevin McNamara was a senior Roman Catholic academic and bishop who in the early 1980s was seen as one of the most outspoken members of the Irish hierarchy on issues such as abortion and divorce...
, and Desmond Connell
Desmond Connell
Desmond Connell is a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a former Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin....
, who were serving during that time, handled complaints badly. One of the priests who admitted abuse, stated he did so more than 100 times. Another did so fortnightly for 25 years. Another died in 2002, professing that he had done nothing wrong. Along with clergy, the Gardaí were accused in the report of covering up the scandal.
Public reactions
Cardinal Connell, the only living archbishop of the four mentioned in the Report, expressed his "bitter regret that failures on my part contributed to the suffering of victims in any form." Connell was partly credited in the Report for initiating two canonical trials in the 1990s, ". . . in the face of strong opposition from one of the most powerful canonists in the Archdiocese, Monsignor Sheehy," but had released only 17 cases to the police out of the 28 on the archdiocese's records."Because of acts or omissions, individuals who sought assistance did not always receive the level of response or protection which any citizen in trouble is entitled to expect," said Ireland's police commissioner, Fachtna Murphy
Fachtna Murphy
Fachtna Murphy was the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána from 2007 to 2010. Prior to his appointment he was the Deputy Commissioner with responsibility for operational policing strategies in An Garda Síochána. He grew up in Timoleague, County Cork...
. Murphy added he was "deeply sorry".
The government of Ireland said it would make amends to the victims. Dermot Ahern
Dermot Ahern
Dermot Christopher Ahern is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency from 1987 to 2011...
, the justice minister, promised that "the persons who committed these dreadful crimes — no matter when they happened — will continue to be pursued".
Ronan Fanning, a History Professor at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, wrote an op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
on 6 December 2009, titled "The age of our craven deference is finally over", that started: "Historic is a term from which professional historians traditionally recoil and rightly so. The banalities of popular usage have debased its meaning beyond redemption. But there are still rare events that not only deserve but demand to be described as historic. The publication of the Murphy report is one such event: a truly historic landmark in the sad and squalid story of Church-State relations in independent Ireland.
Bishops' resignations
Following publication of the Report suggestions were made in all Irish newspapers that the former and current Auxiliary bishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
s of Dublin should be prosecuted
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
or resign; some of their current parishioners felt that they should not resign if they had not been prosecuted for any offence. After a gap of several weeks, and with considerable protestations of their innocence, four had tendered their resignations in late 2009:
- Donal MurrayDonal MurrayDonal Brendan Murray was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Limerick from 1996 to 2009. He had previously served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Dublin diocese-Early life and ordination:...
- 18 December - Bishop of LimerickRoman Catholic Diocese of LimerickThe Diocese of Limerick is a Roman Catholic diocese in mid-western Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster... - James Moriarty - 23 December - Bishop of Kildare and LeighlinRoman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and LeighlinThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is a Roman Catholic diocese in eastern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the Archdiocese of Dublin...
- Raymond Field - 24 December - titular bishop of "Árd Mór"Árd Mór (Titular See)The Diocese of Árd Mór is a Titular See in the Roman Catholic Church. The term Árd Mór comes from the Irish Language; translated literally, it means “big height” The first Titular Bishop was appointed to this See on 5 Jan, 1969. In Latin the diocese is known as Ardmorensis....
- Eamonn WalshEamonn Oliver WalshEamonn Oliver Walsh is an Irish Catholic bishop and is one of the two active Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin, the other being Raymond W. Field....
- 24 December - titular bishop of "Elmhama"
Calls were also made for the resignation of Martin Drennan
Martin Drennan
Martin Drennan is the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Kilfenora.-Early life and ordination:He was born in Piltown, County Kilkenny, Ireland...
, Bishop of Galway
Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora is a Roman Catholic diocese in the western part of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam...
, and of other and more senior prelates formerly associated with the archdiocese. Bishop Drennan replied that he had handled abuse allegations correctly.
The Church in Ireland is led by 23 bishops. The resigning bishops will remain within the hierarchy with the title of "Bishop Emeritus", and are entitled to pensions. The effect of resignation is to remove them from the duties of pastoral care
Pastoral care
Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
. Bishop Emeritus is the usual title of all retired bishops, and does not denote shame or past misconduct of any sort.
In August 2010 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
decided not to accept the resignations of Bishops Field and Walsh.
International reactions
The Report and its outcomes has been mentioned widely in media around the world.A Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
spokesman, the Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Leanza
Giuseppe Leanza
Giuseppe Leanza was born in Cesaro, Italy. and ordained on 17 July 1966.-Early life:After being awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1972 and served at the pontifical representations in Paraguay, Uganda, the United States and in the section for...
, has said that it was "ashamed" of the Report, and he undertook to assist in the forthcoming Report into allegations of child sex abuse by priests in the Diocese of Cloyne
Sexual abuse scandal in Cloyne diocese
The sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne is officially elaborated as the "Commission of Investigation, Dublin Archdiocese, Catholic Diocese of Cloyne". It has examined how allegations of sexual abuse of children in the diocese were dealt with by the church and state. The...
.
On 11 December 2009 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
said: "The Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the Report, including questions concerning the governance of local Church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children. The Holy Father intends to address a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Ireland in which he will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation."
"The Holy Father shares the outrage, betrayal and shame felt by so many of the faithful in Ireland, and he is united with them in prayer at this difficult time in the life of the church. The Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents. He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large."
Publication of chapter 19 in 2010
The publication of Chapter 19 of the Report was withheld until criminal accusations against Father Tony WalshTony Walsh (priest)
Tony Walsh is an Irish Roman Catholic priest who was convicted of child sexual abuse.-Musical career:In the late 1970s Father Walsh became part of Father Michael Cleary's All Priests Show as an Elvis impersonator...
had been heard. On 15 December 2010 the chapter was published by court order. Walsh was sentenced to 123 years in prison (in reality, 16 years) for repeated abuses on several boys, mainly in Ballyfermot
Ballyfermot
Ballyfermot is a suburb in the city of Dublin.Celebrities such as the famous Furey Brothers and the brilliant Keenan family have all resided in Ballyfermot.Ireland, located 7 kilometres due west from the city centre, and to the south of the Phoenix Park...
.
It emerged that Walsh's paedophilic nature was known to his church superiors when he was still a student priest in the 1970s. He was laicised by the Dublin Archdiocese in 1992, a decision that Walsh appealed to Rome. The appeal was denied in 1995; the allegations that led to both hearings were not revealed to the Irish police
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
. Walsh had been given the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
in the Murphy Report on its first publication in 2009 as: "Father Jovito". As well as the church's evasions over a decade, it emerged that the local police also knew of complaints against Father Walsh in 1990-91, but took no action. The Murphy Commission summarised that: "Fr Tony Walsh is probably the most notorious child sexual abuser to have come to the attention of the Commission".
Liaison with the Vatican in the 2010 "Wikileaks Cables"
In December 2010 the WikileaksWikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
group publicised thousands of recent United States diplomatic cables
Contents of the United States diplomatic cables leak
This is a list of notable content from the United States diplomatic cables leak that shows the United States' opinion of related affairs. Beginning on 28 November 2010, WikiLeaks had been publishing classified documents of detailed correspondence—diplomatic cables—between the United...
. One had been sent by the US Embassy in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on 26 February 2010. The author commented that the Murphy Commission had written to the Pope for information in any Vatican files, but the requests had not even been acknowledged.
The Vatican argued that such requests should be made through the Irish government via diplomatic
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
channels, as the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
is a sovereign
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
state. It was said in the cable that -
- ".. many in the Vatican were offended by requests for information from the Murphy Commission, which they saw as an affront to Vatican sovereignty."
- "While Vatican contacts immediately expressed deep sympathy for the victims and insisted that the first priority was preventing a recurrence, they also were angered by how the situation played out politically." Vatican officials were annoyed that the Irish Government "did not step in to direct the Murphy Commission to follow standard procedures in communications with Vatican City".
After several requests Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone wrote to the Irish embassy in Rome insisting that diplomatic channels be used. Though his government had set up the Murphy Commission to be quasi-independent, Irish Prime Minister
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
agreed with the Cardinal. There is some significant dispute over the facts of the response of the Vatican.
The Commission argued that it had written to Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
in his capacity as head of the Church, and not as the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
of the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. It said that it could not involve the Irish Government, as some past actions and omissions by the government's departments were also under investigation.
See also
- AbuseAbuseAbuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
- Child abuseChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
- Child sexual abuseChild sexual abuseChild sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
- Religious abuse
- Sexual abuseSexual abuseSexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
- Sexual misconductSexual misconductSexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. The term may be used to condemn an act, but in some jurisdictions it has also a legal meaning....
- Spiritual abuseSpiritual abuseSpiritual abuse is a serious form of abuse which occurs when a person in a cult-religious authority or a person with a unique spiritual practice misleads and maltreats another person in the name of a deityor church or in the mystery of any spiritual concept...
- Catholic sexual abuse scandal in IrelandCatholic sexual abuse scandal in IrelandThe Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland is a major chapter in the worldwide Catholic sexual abuse scandal. Unlike the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the United States, the scandal in Ireland included cases of high-profile Catholic clerics involved in illicit heterosexual relations as well as...
- Roman Catholic sex abuse cases by country
- Roman Catholicism in IrelandRoman Catholicism in IrelandThe Catholic Church in Ireland is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church with full communion with the Pope, currently Benedict XVI...
- Fr. Ivan PayneIvan PayneFr. Ivan Payne is an Irish Roman Catholic priest convicted as a child molester.-Career:He was ordained a priest in 1967 and was attached to the Archdiocese of Dublin. His first appointment was as chaplain in a convent in Killiney, County Dublin from February 1968 to September 1978...
- subject of chapter 24 - Fr. Thomas NaughtonThomas NaughtonFr Thomas Naughton is a priest of St Patrick's Missionary Order, Kiltegan, County Wicklow, who was found guilty of the indecent assault of minors. He was one of 46 priests mentioned in the Murphy Report.-Early career and sex offences:...
- named in chapter 29 - ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Diarmuid MartinDiarmuid MartinDiarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
, Primate of IrelandPrimate of IrelandThe Primacy of Ireland was historically disputed between the Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin until finally settled by Pope Innocent VI. Primate is a title of honour denoting ceremonial precedence in the Church, and in the Middle Ages there was an intense rivalry between the two...
and Archbishop of DublinArchbishop of DublinThe Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.... - Donal MurrayDonal MurrayDonal Brendan Murray was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Limerick from 1996 to 2009. He had previously served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Dublin diocese-Early life and ordination:...
, Bishop Emeritus of LimerickRoman Catholic Diocese of LimerickThe Diocese of Limerick is a Roman Catholic diocese in mid-western Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster...
- named in report and resigned as a result - Eamonn Oliver WalshEamonn Oliver WalshEamonn Oliver Walsh is an Irish Catholic bishop and is one of the two active Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin, the other being Raymond W. Field....
, Auxiliary Bishop of DublinRoman Catholic Archdiocese of DublinThe Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dublin, , is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in eastern Ireland centred around the republic's capital city – Dublin. The see of Dublin was raised to the status of a Metropolitan Province by the Synod of Kells in 1152. Its jurisdiction includes much of the Province of...
- named in report - Martin DrennanMartin DrennanMartin Drennan is the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Kilfenora.-Early life and ordination:He was born in Piltown, County Kilkenny, Ireland...
, Bishop of Galway, and former Auxiliary Bishop of DublinRoman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and KilfenoraThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora is a Roman Catholic diocese in the western part of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam... - Archbishop Giuseppe LeanzaGiuseppe LeanzaGiuseppe Leanza was born in Cesaro, Italy. and ordained on 17 July 1966.-Early life:After being awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1972 and served at the pontifical representations in Paraguay, Uganda, the United States and in the section for...
, Apostolic Nuncio to IrelandApostolic Nuncio to IrelandThe Holy See, as the central government of the Catholic Church , has full diplomatic ties with Ireland as well as many other countries worldwide. The current Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland is Archbishop-elect Monsignor Charles John Brown...
during publication of the report - Archbishop Giuseppe LazzarottoGiuseppe LazzarottoGiuseppe Lazzarotto JCD was born in Carpanè, Italy on 24 May 1942. He studied for the priesthood in the Diocese of Padua, being ordained a priest on 1 April 1967. He undertook post-graduate studies in diplomacy at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, while at the same time completing his...
, previous Nuncio, criticised by the Murphy Commission for not cooperating fully - Ferns Report
- Woodstock defence
External links
- Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform:
- Diocese of Dublin