Kenny attacks Vatican over abuse scandal

Published Wednesday, 20 July 2011

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny has launched an unprecedented attack on the Vatican over the clerical abuse scandal and subsequent cover-up in the Cloyne diocese in Co Cork.

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Mr Kenny warned that the latest inquiry into such cases had exposed a dysfunctional, elite hierarchy determined to frustrate investigations.

"The rape and torture of children were downplayed or 'managed' - to uphold instead the primacy of the institution, its power, standing and 'reputation'," he said.

Mr Kenny's attack, which opened a special Dáil debate, followed the publication last week of the fourth major report in six years into the Catholic Church's response to clerical abuse.

Delinquency and arrogance of a particular version of a particular kind of morality will no longer be tolerated.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny

The 400-page document revealed that the diocese failed to report all complaints and allegations to police, with Newry-born former bishop John Magee singled out for misleading investigators and being responsible for "dangerous" failures on child protection.

Bishop Magee's resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict last year.

The findings of the damning Cloyne report sparked shock and outrage as, unlike previous reports, it dealt with incidents after 2006 - the year the Catholic Church brought in child sex abuse guidelines and protection policies.

"For the first time in Ireland, a report into child sexual abuse exposes an attempt by the Holy See to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign, democratic republic as little as three years ago - not three decades ago," Enda Kenny said.

"And in doing so, the Cloyne report excavates the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism, the narcissism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day."

Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter has already warned that in future anyone - including priests and doctors - could be jailed for not reporting sexual abuse allegations.

New laws to be brought in by the autumn will leave no 'grey areas' and will not allow for the sanctity of confessionals or doctor/patient confidentiality.

In the Dáil on Wednesday, the Taoiseach also warned: "This is not Rome.

"Nor is it industrial school or Magdalene Ireland, where the swish of a soutane-smothered conscience and humanity and the swing of a thurible ruled the Irish Catholic world.

"This is the Republic of Ireland 2011."

Comments

24 Comments

Frosty in Here wrote (306 days ago):

@Big Joe, news flash buddy, the Pope is just the new name for Caesar, it's still the Roman empire, they just learned you catch more flies with honey. It's not an establishment with a good history and I for one would be ashamed to associate myself with it. Similarly I don't think there's anything great about being British and I would also call for an independent investigation into both the RC church and the likes of Kincora Boys Home, particularly at state collusion. The axis of evil is evil on both sides with the innocent and gullible caught in the middle.

jimmy in scotland wrote (306 days ago):

for gods sake guilpin, what has this to do with the crap you are spouting, all child abuse is wrong, any religeon so why do you try and shift blame on to other religeons to try and justify, ALL CHILD ABUSERS ARE SCUM WHETHER THEY BE CATHOLIC PROTESTANT, MUSLIM ECT,,BUT YOU TALKING POLITICS ABOUT IT MAKES YOU AS BAD

steve in belfast wrote (306 days ago):

I was so impressed by what Mr Kenny said, it,s about time someone in power took on the Catholic church ! This is not about politics or Orange or Green it,s about decent people being disgusted by what the church has done to it,s most vulnerable and weakest ! The Catholic church should not be above the law which it has been for generations, the abused had basic human rights which counted for nothing,the people they trusted most took away those rights ! At the end of the day The Pope is just a man nothing more nothing less,what,s the big deal if he feels unwelcome !

Guilpin in Earth wrote (307 days ago):

Lorna, yes the 26 was, at least 20 years ago, in cohorts with the church but that has come to pass, or have you not woken from your Orange slumber yet? As for castigating the 26 counties with its tie to the church please look closer to home and your orange statelet which did even worse than the 26 by making a sizeable minority 2nd class citizens and enemies of that statelet - remember a Protestant parliament for Protestant people. Have you air brushed this out of your shameful, despicable and divisive history? Where are the investigations into your own flocks abuse of children in the likes of Kincora? If it's good for one it's good for the other. As Jesus Christ once said, let him who is free of sin cast the first stone. You only seem to apply your bible bashing when it suits you.

jimmy in scotland wrote (307 days ago):

for gods sake joan what nonesense you speak,the abuse of wee children has nothing to do with being orange or green, why are you trying to justify this, the leader of the republic is right and anyone who abuses a child or covers it up should be jailed for life,,if you have children and this happened to them would you be blaming the orange order

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