Shame on Church Abusers Who Reviled Bishop Casey for the 'Sin' of Fatherhood, by Sinead Ryan, Herald, May 26, 2009

Shame on Church Abusers Who Reviled Bishop Casey for the 'Sin' of Fatherhood

By Sinead Ryan
Herald
May 26, 2009

http://www.herald.ie/opinion/columnists/sinead-ryan/shame-on-church-abusers—who-reviled-bishop-casey—for-the-sin-of-fatherhood-1750974.html

Bishop Eamon Casey (remember him?) has said that he believes all sex abusers in the religious orders should be jailed.

The 82-year-old former Bishop of Galway spoke out over the weekend of his "disgust" at the revelations of the Abuse Commission report.

DISGUSTED: Eamon Casey says abusers should be jailed

It seems both wholly ironic and entirely of a different age when Eamon Casey was thoroughly vilified by the Irish people, including the media, for his own conduct — the 'disgrace' of fathering a child with American Annie Murphy.

Appalling

Remember her appalling treatment on the Late Late Show? We really thought we had hit a new low as a people. Casey was immediately banished to Ecuador, only returning in recent years to find an Ireland utterly changed.

While he was breaking a church rule, imposed not by God, but by a greedy Vatican which didn't want its wealth diminished by priests marrying and having families, let us not forget what 'sin' it was that Casey committed: he had consensual sex with a woman.

After the intervening decades and, especially, last week's damning indictment of religious orders, it seems almost laughable in comparison to the real sins we've read about.

Casey did not beat, rape, neglect or abuse anyone. He found it difficult to be celibate when temptation presented itself. Big deal. How insignificant his actions seem in comparison to his other, so-called 'Christian' counterparts, who inflicted lifelong damage and suffering on little boys and girls in their care for over 70 years. Where was the big, bold Catholic Church then, with its hierarchy of sins?

Turning a blind eye, shuffling abusers from village to town, denying wrongdoing and shielding evil.

Devout

Bishop Casey has said the only wish he has for the future is to be allowed to say mass in public again. How lucky the church is to have a member who is so forgiving of authority, so devout and kind — so simple in his request. How many evil priests, nuns and brothers piously attended masses which berated Bishop Casey over the years? How many wished him ill?

They should be ashamed of themselves.