Irish Victims Want Action Not Only Words Child Abuse Group SOCA Founder John Kelly Added That He Hoped Pope Benedict XVI Would Eventually Come to Ireland to Apologise, Javno, February 16, 2010

Irish Victims Want Action, Not Only Words
Child Abuse Group (SOCA) Founder John Kelly Added That He Hoped Pope Benedict XVI Would Eventually Come to Ireland to Apologise.

Javno
February 16, 2010

http://www.javno.com/en-world/irish-victims-want-action-not-only-words_294395

DUBLIN -- Victims of sexual abuse by Irish clerics want action rather than words, a support group said Tuesday while acknowleding some "positive" signs from a meeting of Irish bishops with the pope.

Speaking on the second day of Vatican talks on a paedophile priest scandal, Irish Survivors of Child Abuse group (SOCA) founder John Kelly added that he hoped Pope Benedict XVI would eventually come to Ireland to apologise.

"The Irish people and the victims are entitled to expect firm actions from the pope," he told AFP. "We are entitled to expect that the pope make those who committed crimes or covered up crimes, including bishops, be made accountable.

"We are entitled to expect that the pope restore the honour to the Irish nation that has been so severely damaged by these scandals and by the so-called princes of the Irish church."

The pope held a second day of talks Tuesday with two dozen Irish bishops, seeking a way forward after the scandal that has rocked mainly Catholic Ireland.

The Irish delegation was led by Cardinal Sean Brady, primate of all Ireland, who in December met Benedict along with Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin over the crisis after two shocking judicial reports into the abuse.

Kelly added: "The words coming out at the moment seem to be positive. Whether they will act upon them and whether they will go far enough is another matter. We need to see the words turned into action.

"We are waiting for a letter from the pope, we expect all those things in it. At the moment, it would appear the words are very strong and they are exactly what we need but they are only words at the moment."

The pope must find out the truth of what had happened, he added.

"Then we want the pope, the church, to compensate the victims. Then we want him to get rid of all the bishops who have done wrong then he can come to Ireland, then he can come and apologise," he said.