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  Bishops Apology

By Staff Reporter
Leinster Express
December 9, 2009

http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/Bishop39s-apology.5894173.jp

IRELAND -- Bishop Moriarty apologised to "all who have been hurt" in a letter read at Masses in Laois on November 28/29.

"The report of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation has once more confronted us with the terrible truth of child sexual abuse by priests and religious. This is a dark and dispiriting chapter which has scandalised and shamed our Church and I wish to apologise to all who have been hurt," he said.

He acknowledged that "outrage has rightly been expressed in all quarters, not only that this abuse took place but also very particularly because Church authorities failed over many decades to respond properly to such criminal acts. Past practice in the matter was all too clearly seriously flawed".

In his homily in Carlow Cathedral on November 29 He said: "While the Murphy Report does not criticise me directly, I feel it is important to state that I fully accept the overall conclusion of the Commission – that the attempts by Church authorities to 'protect the Church' and to 'avoid scandal' had the most dreadful consequences for children and were deeply wrong."

 
 

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