The Ferns Report
Encyclopedia
The Ferns Report was an official Irish government inquiry into the allegations of clerical sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns
in County Wexford
, Ireland
.
Television documentary Suing the Pope
, which highlighted the case of Fr Seán Fortune, one of the most notorious clerical sexual offenders. The film followed Colm O'Gorman as he investigated the story of how Fortune was allowed to abuse him and countless other teenage boys. O'Gorman, through One in Four, the organisation he founded to support women and men who have experienced sexual violence, successfully campaigned for the Ferns Inquiry.
The Ferns Report was presented to the Irish government on 25 October 2005 and released the following day. It identified more than 100 allegations of child sexual abuse made between 1962 and 2002 against twenty-one priests operating under the aegis of the Diocese
of Ferns. Eleven of these individuals were alive in 2002. The nature of the response by the Church authorities in the Diocese of Ferns to allegations of child sexual abuse by priests operating under the aegis of the diocese had varied over the forty years to 2002.
Among the allegations made were:
(who, as Apostolic Administrator
, assumed control of the Ferns Diocese (following Comiskey's resignation) became aware of an allegation early in 2004. He called to see her daughter and urged her to make a formal statement, which she did. Walsh reported the matter to the Metropolitan for the Diocese of Ferns
, Desmond Connell
, Cardinal
Archbishop of Dublin
. A report on the matter was prepared for the Vatican
. Comiskey was not interviewed during the preparation of this report. The report concluded that a delict had not been committed as regards the behaviour alleged but the fact that, under the influence of alcohol, Comiskey was alleged to have acted in such a manner was something that needed to be addressed to ensure that no repetition of such behavior could take place.
The Inquiry was informed by Comiskey that, although he agreed to step aside from active ministry when this allegation was first made known to church authorities, he had returned to ministry but agreed to refrain from high profile acts of ministry. , he is residing in Inniskeen
, County Monaghan
.
by the Church 11 years afterwards.
, and Sean Fortune
, who committed suicide
before his trial for the rape of children.
problem. He transferred priests against whom allegations had been made, to a different post or a different diocese for a period of time but then returned them to their former position.
By 1980, Bishop Herlihy recognised that there was a psychologicial or medical dimension to the issue of child sexual abuse. Some priests in respect of whom allegations had been made were sent to a psychologist.
However, decisions were made by Bishop Herlihy to appoint to curacies priests against whom allegations had been made, in respect of whom a respected clerical psychologist had expressed his concerns in unambiguous terms as to their suitability to interact with young people.
The report was also highly critical of the failure of the Garda Siochána
(police) to properly investigate reported incidents. It noted with concern the disappearance of one police file detailing serious incidents of clerical sex abuse. It stated that the local health authorities failed to protect children even when aware of allegations.
As a result of a late application, a further inspection of files from July 2005 revealed a further five cases of concern, which were mentioned in the report's appendix. This raised concern about the diocese's willingness to disclose relevant files.
. A non-statutory private inquiry was then established in March 2003 by Micheál Martin
as Minister for Health and Children
, comprising three persons: Francis Murphy, a retired Supreme Court Judge; Dr Helen Buckley, a sociology lecturer at Trinity College Dublin; and Dr Laraine Joyce of the office of health management, a part of the Ministry for Health and Children.
The report was published in October 2005, noting the anonymity of victims and alleged abusers, and highlighting that in the Ministry's opinion: no evidence was placed before the Inquiry suggesting the operation or the organisation of a paedophile ring in the Diocese of Ferns or any clerical institution within that Diocese. The report cost just under €1.9 million.
The Report was considered to be more robust that the Church's own McCullough Report
, released earlier in 2005, which covered one aspect concerning allegations about Michael Ledwith. The main Dáil debate on the Ferns Report was in two parts on 9 November 2005. The Irish Senate debate started on 10 November.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns
The Diocese of Ferns is a Roman Catholic diocese in south-eastern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the Archdiocese of Dublin. The incumbent Ordinary is Denis Brennan....
in County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Scope
The Inquiry was set up by the Government of Ireland to identify complaints and allegations made against clergy of the Diocese of Ferns prior to April 2002, and to report upon the response of Church and Civil Authorities. The Inquiry did not concern itself with the truth or otherwise of the complaints and allegations made, but entirely with the response to those allegations. The Inquiry recorded its revulsion at the extent, severity and duration of the child sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated on children by priests acting under the aegis of the Diocese of Ferns. The investigation was established in the wake of the broadcast of a BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Television documentary Suing the Pope
Suing the Pope
Suing the Pope is a March 2002 documentary by Colm O'Gorman and the BBC which details the abusive activities of priest Sean Fortune and the response of the diocese of Ferns to his activities over the years....
, which highlighted the case of Fr Seán Fortune, one of the most notorious clerical sexual offenders. The film followed Colm O'Gorman as he investigated the story of how Fortune was allowed to abuse him and countless other teenage boys. O'Gorman, through One in Four, the organisation he founded to support women and men who have experienced sexual violence, successfully campaigned for the Ferns Inquiry.
The Ferns Report was presented to the Irish government on 25 October 2005 and released the following day. It identified more than 100 allegations of child sexual abuse made between 1962 and 2002 against twenty-one priests operating under the aegis of the Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Ferns. Eleven of these individuals were alive in 2002. The nature of the response by the Church authorities in the Diocese of Ferns to allegations of child sexual abuse by priests operating under the aegis of the diocese had varied over the forty years to 2002.
Findings
Among the facts revealed were:- The failure of Bishop Donal J. Herlihy to exclude clearly unsuitable candidates from the priesthood and his failure to ensure that alleged abusers were kept away from children;
- His failure to report incidents of alleged sexual abuse to the legal authorities
- The failure of his successor, Brendan ComiskeyBrendan ComiskeyBrendan Comiskey, is the Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Ferns. He was born on 13 August 1935 in Clontibret, County Monaghan, Ireland.He resigned on 1 April 2002, over charges that he had failed to deal adequately with allegations that Fr...
, to report incidents of abuse and his failure to establish sound child protection measures; From 1990 onward he reported all allegations made by children to the authorities. - The adoption of strict policies of immediate removal of any clergy subject to allegations by his successor, Bishop Eamon Walsh.
- Police failure to properly investigate sexual abuse complaints prior to 1990.
Among the allegations made were:
- The sexual touching of teenage girls near the altar of a church by one priest;
- The use of blackmailBlackmailIn common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
by another priest to force children to perform sex acts on him; - Most allegations did not involve rape, but a range of sexual assaults from inappropriate touching to masturbation.
- Multiple allegations of abuse were made against the following priests (those still alive have not been identified in the The Ferns Report):
- Fr Donal CollinsDonal CollinsDonal Collins was a priest of the Diocese of Ferns. He was appointed principal of St Peter's College, Wexford by Bishop Brendan Comiskey in 1988 despite his removal by Comiskey's predecessor, Bishop Donal J. Herlihy, following allegations of Collins sexually abusing pupils in his charge...
, transferred from St Peter's CollegeSt Peter's College, WexfordSt Peter's College, Wexford is an Irish secondary school and former seminary located in Summerhill, overlooking Wexford town. It is a single sex school for male pupils. Currently its school population is approximately 700. The current principal is Mr. Patrick Quigley and the current vice-principal...
in WexfordWexfordWexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
to London in 1966 but returned to the College in 1968 - Fr James Doyle, ordination postponed in 1973, after a first allegation of drunken assault, but Doyle was ordained one year later.
- These three are deceased:
- Fr James Grennan, sexually molested girls in Monageer church, County WexfordCounty WexfordCounty Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
while he heard confessionConfessionThis article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs... - Canon Martin Clancy, molested his female victim in her own home
- Fr Seán FortuneSeán FortuneFr. Seán Fortune was an Irish priest accused of child molestation, who allegedly used his position to gain access to his victims. He was never tried, but committed suicide before any charges were proved against him,...
ministered in the village of Poulfour in Co. WexfordWexfordWexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and in DundalkDundalkDundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
. Allegations of abuse were made against him in all three places.
- Fr James Grennan, sexually molested girls in Monageer church, County Wexford
Bishop Comiskey
The Inquiry contacted the mother of a young woman who said that Bishop Eamonn WalshEamonn Walsh
Eamonn Walsh is an Irish Labour Party politician . He was a Teachta Dála for Dublin South West from 1992 to 1997....
(who, as Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
, assumed control of the Ferns Diocese (following Comiskey's resignation) became aware of an allegation early in 2004. He called to see her daughter and urged her to make a formal statement, which she did. Walsh reported the matter to the Metropolitan for the Diocese of Ferns
Diocese of Ferns
Diocese of Ferns can refer to:*The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns*The Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns within the united Diocese of Cashel, Waterford, Lismore, Ossory, Ferns & Leighlin...
, 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....
, Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
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...
. A report on the matter was prepared for the 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...
. Comiskey was not interviewed during the preparation of this report. The report concluded that a delict had not been committed as regards the behaviour alleged but the fact that, under the influence of alcohol, Comiskey was alleged to have acted in such a manner was something that needed to be addressed to ensure that no repetition of such behavior could take place.
The Inquiry was informed by Comiskey that, although he agreed to step aside from active ministry when this allegation was first made known to church authorities, he had returned to ministry but agreed to refrain from high profile acts of ministry. , he is residing in Inniskeen
Inniskeen
Inniskeen, officially Inishkeen , is a small village and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland, close to the County Louth and County Armagh borders. It is located about 17 km from Dundalk and 12 km from Carrickmacross and 5 km from Crossmaglen...
, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
Micheál Ledwith
Comiskey nominated his diocesan colleague, Monsignor Micheál Ledwith to be president of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth in 1984 despite the prior concerns of six seminarians about Ledwith's lifestyle. Ledwith resigned as president in 1994 following allegations of a sexual relationship with a minor and was defrockedDefrocking
To defrock, unfrock, or laicize ministers or priests is to remove their rights to exercise the functions of the ordained ministry. This may be due to criminal convictions, disciplinary matters, or disagreements over doctrine or dogma...
by the Church 11 years afterwards.
Jim Grennan
This was also seen in other cases, such as that of Jim Grennan, a parish priest, who abused children as they prepared for First CommunionEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, and Sean Fortune
Seán Fortune
Fr. Seán Fortune was an Irish priest accused of child molestation, who allegedly used his position to gain access to his victims. He was never tried, but committed suicide before any charges were proved against him,...
, who committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
before his trial for the rape of children.
Judgement and recommendation
Between 1960 and 1980, the Report found that Bishop Herlihy treated child sexual abuse by priests of his diocese exclusively as a moralMoral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
problem. He transferred priests against whom allegations had been made, to a different post or a different diocese for a period of time but then returned them to their former position.
By 1980, Bishop Herlihy recognised that there was a psychologicial or medical dimension to the issue of child sexual abuse. Some priests in respect of whom allegations had been made were sent to a psychologist.
However, decisions were made by Bishop Herlihy to appoint to curacies priests against whom allegations had been made, in respect of whom a respected clerical psychologist had expressed his concerns in unambiguous terms as to their suitability to interact with young people.
The report was also highly critical of the failure of the Garda Siochána
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 :...
(police) to properly investigate reported incidents. It noted with concern the disappearance of one police file detailing serious incidents of clerical sex abuse. It stated that the local health authorities failed to protect children even when aware of allegations.
As a result of a late application, a further inspection of files from July 2005 revealed a further five cases of concern, which were mentioned in the report's appendix. This raised concern about the diocese's willingness to disclose relevant files.
Process and Publication of the Report
An initial report was made to the government in 2002 by George Bermingham SCSenior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
. A non-statutory private inquiry was then established in March 2003 by Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
as Minister for Health and Children
Minister for Health and Children (Ireland)
The Minister for Health is the senior minister at the Department of Health in the Government of Ireland and is responsible for health care in the Republic of Ireland and related services.The current Minister for Health is James Reilly, TD...
, comprising three persons: Francis Murphy, a retired Supreme Court Judge; Dr Helen Buckley, a sociology lecturer at Trinity College Dublin; and Dr Laraine Joyce of the office of health management, a part of the Ministry for Health and Children.
The report was published in October 2005, noting the anonymity of victims and alleged abusers, and highlighting that in the Ministry's opinion: no evidence was placed before the Inquiry suggesting the operation or the organisation of a paedophile ring in the Diocese of Ferns or any clerical institution within that Diocese. The report cost just under €1.9 million.
The Report was considered to be more robust that the Church's own McCullough Report
McCullough Report
The McCullough Report is a report published by the Irish Roman Catholic bishops in June 2005 following allegations of homosexual sexual abuse between seminarians and staff at St Patrick's College, Maynooth in Ireland. The report looked at how the College responded to the allegations, and found that...
, released earlier in 2005, which covered one aspect concerning allegations about Michael Ledwith. The main Dáil debate on the Ferns Report was in two parts on 9 November 2005. The Irish Senate debate started on 10 November.
Press Comment
According to reports in the Irish press, the report itself was not to be published on the Internet for legal reasons. A document claimed to be the text of the Report is, however, online, on the website of an organization called BishopAccountability.org., and also on the website of an organisation called oneinfour.org.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...
- Brendan ComiskeyBrendan ComiskeyBrendan Comiskey, is the Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Ferns. He was born on 13 August 1935 in Clontibret, County Monaghan, Ireland.He resigned on 1 April 2002, over charges that he had failed to deal adequately with allegations that Fr...
ss cc, former Bishop of FernsDiocese of FernsDiocese of Ferns can refer to:*The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns*The Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns within the united Diocese of Cashel, Waterford, Lismore, Ossory, Ferns & Leighlin... - Roman Catholic sex abuse casesRoman Catholic sex abuse casesThe Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. These cases began receiving public attention beginning in the mid-1980s...
- Roman Catholic priests accused of sex offenses
- Crimen sollicitationisCrimen sollicitationisCrimen sollicitationis is the title of a 1962 document of the Holy Office codifying procedures to be followed in cases of priests or bishops of the Catholic Church accused of having used the sacrament of Penance to make sexual advances to penitents.It repeated, with additions, the contents of an...
- Pontifical SecretPontifical secretThe pontifical secret or pontifical secrecy or papal secrecy is the code of confidentiality that, in accordance with the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, applies in matters that require greater than ordinary confidentiality:...
- Deliver Us from Evil (2006 film)Deliver Us from Evil (2006 film)Deliver Us from Evil is a documentary film directed by Amy J. Berg which tells the true story of Catholic priest Oliver O'Grady, who admitted to having molested and raped approximately 25 children in Northern California between the late 1970s and early 1990s...
- Sex Crimes and the Vatican (Panorama Documentary Episode)
- Barbara BlaineBarbara BlaineBarbara Blaine is the founder and president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests , a national advocacy group for survivors of clerical sexual abuse. She alleges that she was sexually abused during her teenage years from junior high school until graduation by a priest. She revealed this...
founder of SNAP (Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests) - Woodstock defence
Further reading
- Crow, Catrina (2008): "The Ferns Report: Vindicating the Abused Child" in: Éire-Ireland 43: 1 & 2 Spring/Summer 2008: pp. 50–73
External links
- Department of Health and Children, Ireland,
- Alleged text of The Ferns Report at bishop-accountability.org
- Alleged text of The Ferns Report at oneinfour.org
- Irish Bishops Communications Office
- Diocese of Ferns, County Wexford, Ireland
- One in Four
- Colm O'Gorman
- Most Controversial Highlights in the 1962 Ottaviani Directive (English)