Archbishop Defends Role of Church, The Irish Times, May 22, 2009

Archbishop Defends Role of Church

The Irish Times
May 22, 2009

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0522/1224247111421.html

Archbishop Vincent Nichols (centre) shakes the hand of retiring Archbishop Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor after being installed as the 11th Archbishop of Westminster at Westminster Cathedral in London yesterday.
Photo by Kevin Coombs

The newly installed Archbishop of Westminster has defended the role of the Catholic Church in public life, arguing that faith in Christ presents a vision of “true social cohesion”.

The Most Rev Vincent Nichols used the homily at his installation as 11th Archbishop of Westminster yesterday to call for “respectful dialogue” and an atmosphere in which people could express “reasoned principles” without fear of being labelled prejudiced.

Dr Nichols had provoked controversy on Wednesday, however, after describing members of the clergy who admitted abusing children in their care as courageous for facing up to their past.

In an interview on British television responding to the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, Dr Nichols had said: “It’s very distressing and very disturbing and my heart goes out today first of all to those people who will find that their stories are now told in public.

“Secondly, I think of those in religious orders and some of the clergy in Dublin who have to face these facts from their past, which instinctively and quite naturally they’d rather not look at. That takes courage, and also we shouldn’t forget that this account today will also overshadow all of the good that they also did.”

The Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (Soca) branded the archbishop’s remarks outrageous and demanded that he back a Vatican inquiry into the abuse.

Soca spokesman John Kelly said: “It is an outrageous statement to make, suggesting that the Christian Brothers were very brave in coming forward. That will cause more hurt to victims.”

A spokesman for Dr Nichols responded: “Archbishop Nichols has unequivocally condemned all abuse. He said his heart went out to all those who had been abused and that the perpetrators of abuse should be held to account.”

In his homily yesterday Dr Nichols argued that faith in God did not represent a “narrowing of the human mind or spirit” – in fact, quite the opposite – and that society should build on the “gift of faith”. – (PA)