Letters, Texts & Emails Thursday 26 Nov, 2009
Topic: Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation Report
Panelists: Special interview with Dr. Diarmuid Martin, Marie Collins, Andrew Madden, Fr. Brendan Purcell, Patsy McGarry.
Below is a letter received by Politico followed by texts and emails received by Vincent during the programme.
Dear Vincent
Like the rest of the entire country, I am scandalised by the Murphy Report on sexual abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese and deeply sympathetic to all the victims.
In the early seventies my younger brother was befriended by a Capuchin priest who was a chaplain at his school. The priest turned up at our house on two occasions and I took an instant dislike to him personally and to his behaviour towards my brother. He used to sit my brother on his knee and was overly tactile at every opportunity. My parents were not in the house at the time and as the eldest sister I remember feeling guilty about the fact that I had taken an instinctive dislike toward this man and by the fact that I probably should have been more hospitable and deferential to a man of the cloth.
When the various scandals about priests and their activities emerged in the nineties I often asked my brother if this priest had done anything to him and he said nothing had happened other than that the priest had rubbed his hand up his back and around his stomach. I think this is disgusting but it could have been much worse. I never forgot this priest and my own feelings about him and I have in recent years carried out searches on the internet as a matter of curiosity to see if he had ever been convicted of any abuse but I never found anything.
Anyway, when the report came out today I did a search and it was no great surprise to find that this priest had a whole chapter devoted to him in part two of the report. I rang my brother and while we discussed it in some detail he still maintains that no great harm came to him and thankfully that is the case.
I think my brother had a very lucky escape as I have absolutely no doubt that the victims of such abuse have their lives utterly destroyed. I also think the Catholic Church as an institution in Ireland is so badly damaged by this that it will be interesting to see if it will ever recover.
I love your programme and make sure you keep asking the hard questions.
Regards
Margaret
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what non Catholics (or people who have no MONETARY INTEREST in this, feminists, or lobbists of married/female priestesses) do NOT UNDERSTAND/OR CHOOSE TO IGNORE is the power of Confession in Catholicism and the pledge -even until death - of secrecy. Remorse is forgiven, sins absolved rather than a massive conspiracy to shield en masse. Genuine people within d Church were hoodwinked by consistant abusers and are made 2 look monsters by hypocrites.
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The other half of the same priests an teachers across europe in the 50s 60s were beating kids with sticks! Which taught other peire group students too, also who had to witness this violence, that it was acceptable. An many witnesses today carry the same 'respectable' predudices into adult life. (Village politics) Irish prison 2day have as thier inmates a majority of people the eduction system failed, generation after generation. Full stop! With the same social preduces employing guards, warders, lawyers, judges, polititians who ultimatley rienforse those predudices as civilized, generation to generation as inherited paterns. Now the poor globaly suffer the worst an pay the most for global warming, thanks to the civilized high carbon priverledges! Leaders!! 2nd an 3rd generation of institutionalised violence. Mr P. dromcollogher. A victim of that violence. . after 60yrs. .
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Its not just the catholic church-abuse of children in the home by evil parents. By the goverment, by employers of bullying in the workplace. Its endemic in societies that follow a hierarchical structure i.e, the catholic church, the civil service, the gov, all intitutions of the state. People in power in general in ireland.
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is dis abuse by da religous not stil goin on in da third world?
Joe Fitzmaurice, Galway
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It is really important 2 make it clear that paedophiles in this country stil enjoy near total protection frm church, hse, and justice system. And confronting them still carries huge risks 2 victims. We r forced 2 sustain major personal losses 4 daring 2 fight 4 justice and child protection.
Dr. Mary mulcahy
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would you ask the priest when does a sin become a crime?
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I can only hope that their is some kind of healing for all those abused in this sick report i can only quote manix flynn it was murder of the sole.
Brian Doyle
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in any large social organisations there will be bad apples be it the health service,social work departments financial institutions and religouse orders of all creads! They infiltrate them for their own ends! We can not condemn the institution. We should condemn and deal with those who have brought them into disrepute to the full extent of the law when detected! Shame on those who coverd up the actions of a few sick men! I remain a practicing Catholic!
Angus Campbell.
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Spare a thought please for those like my brother who did not survive childhood abuse. Suicides of abused must be too mentioned. We owe it to our relatives vincent.
Anne Ryan. Kilkenny
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tonight's interview clearly demonstrates the catholic church's continual reluctance to vilify 'their own' for acts of child abuse! I.m a little disturbed by the arch bishops reluctance to condemn and seek punishment of those in authority who were involved in denying or covering up this abuse!
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Boycott the church until ALL involved in abuse and coverup are expelled.
Sinead, Sligo
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I think that u are being very hard on dr martin. He has been so open and sympathetic about all this. It must be very hard on him and all the other clergy that do good work. He appears sickened by it all. God bless him
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thank god for all this coming out. Bless these people who are and will forever never feel or believe in the church
ever again. They should have to pay for their crime like anyone. Well done to your great show tonight
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I cant believe what i hearing our Archbishop saying.. He stil standing up for the church as stutters and stamers his way through the interview? No surprise from a male dominated cult who only decided cera 1554 at Council of Trent that women have souls and that only got voted in by one vote.
Derry Ann Morgan, Swords
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The ripple effect within families of victims of clerical abuse is not documented and will never be known as many have taken it to thier graves I am overwhelmed with pain for my late brother x
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I sat at a meeting with 12 members of the board of management in st josephs cabra when i made a complaint and was told i was and over protective mum. . Please for sake of my son do not give my name or location out.but i open to answer any questions. Thank u. ...
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Diarmaid Martin seems intelligent and sincere. Yet he nonetheless believes in transubstantiation. Perhaps therein lies the mystery of the church, and now the suspicion of same?
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roman catholic church is corrupt organisation. it is run by paedophiles and satanists. it should be closed down without further delay before they commit more crimes against innocent children. they are all guilty and should be jailed for life. shame on you r.c. church. an ex catholic.
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You will never get a straight answer from any of the clergy even the 'best' of them. I commend you for trying.
Rebekah, Swords
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i will never look at your programme again,it is worse than the bloody inquisition,that poor man is not a paedophile,are you your brothers keeper,you are acting as if you are judge and jury,shame on you the way you are conducting the interview.who do you think you are??
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"Vatican sanctions" "Resigning"?! They all need to be brought to trial for their crimes in protecting paedophiles and moving them from place to place. Worse than the abusers themselves who may at least claim to be sick. They all must realise they will burn in hell if they actually belive in their own dogma.
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it now must be time to separate church from state. Time to strip these people of their power, privilege and to subject them to the full rigour of the law where they are properly cross examined in a court of law and where they must fully admit what they did and were complicit in. Enough is enough. No place for this in modern ireland.
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I think too much emphasis is placed on celibacy consider the married nazi concentration camp officer who had no qualms about torturing or murdering little children. Like the priests they were convinced the children were just inferior beings. This is the most wretched disclosure.
Jane West
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Example comes from the top ROME .But u can see there is no priest or bishop that wil criticise ROME. They are still hiding.
Ann
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the church are wondering why there are no young people going to church now they know why
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I am a victim off instetuional abuse from the age off 3 to i6 yrs. These people have destroyed me both mentally. Emotionally and physically. And the fall out is left to the psycharitc services. The doctors. And counsellors. We are all scard for life.
Kate.
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The root cause is a catholic church dogma that evilly distorts wholesome sex with the demonic teaching of celibacy that fosters perversion. The bible foretold that a church forbidding church leaders to marry was promoting teacings of demons {1 timothy chaptor 4} . This produces evil and turning a blind eye to evil. The catholic church should be abandond by all, they do not lead people to god but more likely away. Yours, A ex catholic and abuse survivor.
N. May
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Celibacy has nothing to do with sex abuse. . Married men and single heterosexual men have done the same. . These people do not follow the faith and should be sacked like jesus sacked the temple. . 1 priest who can live by the principle in any city is enough not hundreds who cant. . It could become a great career choice now if married men could enter . . Secure employment with the community paying. .and what of divorce the priest can then do the same
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i am a celibate religious with no children. If they couldnt stay celibate they should not have been in religious life. We choose celibacy freely we are not forced into taking this vow. Sr. Clare
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I dont believe anything will change in the Catholic Church. That report will sit on a shelf somewhere, with nothing being implemented. Why did all this go on for so long without anybody taking notice and furthermore the ones involved from the church should step down. This should not even be question. .Heads should roll out of respect to all those survivors who are wonderful human beings.
Maria
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why doesn't the rest of the priesthood take a stand and refuse to stand by the doctrine and the beliefs of a catholic representation of an obviously corrupt church in Ireland. The priests should refuse to carry out their duties until the system has been cleansed
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Please why has mac Quaid not been exposed for sending a car to ARTANE boys school every sunday to collect young boys and brought to his palace in kiliney for abuse by big business men of dublin. This is well known by many clergy still alive. Why has this not been exposed in murphy report. Survivors will talk .. And to you vincent.
Anne Ryan, Kilkenny
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Who is going to be the voice for those who did not survive the pain of childhood abuse.. My brother abused by a.. CHRISTIAN brother as a child. Suffered depression as a adult. Spent opt of his adult life in and out of psychiatric hospital.. Died by suicide while in care in same institution. Was this reported to garda by hospital or staff i cant still find out. Lets tonight spare a thought for those who died by suicide.
Anne, Kilkenny