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	What Do You Think about the Bishop's Appeal for Financial Aid? By John Bernie Enniscorthy Guardian March 3, 2010 http://www.enniscorthyguardian.ie/news/what-do-you-think-about-the-bishops-appeal-for-financial-aid-2089289.html 'I'm not prepared to put my hand in my pocket. They should be selling things off. I do believe in God, but the Church, like every other walk of life, has good and bad in it. The time has come for them to pay for the bad.' Donal Walsh, Wexford. 'I think it's scandalous. Disgraceful. I think it's absolutely unfair to ask the public to pay for the damage that was done.' Tony Byrne, Rosslare Harbour. 'I think in these days of economic hardship the Bishop is out of touch with modern society.' Marie Carroll, Enniscorthy. 'I don't know. I feel sympathy for Bishop Brennan. He is a lovely man and it must be an awful strain on him. The bishop has a hard question to deal with. Could the Pope not help out?' Peggy Malone, Wexford. 'What was done by those priests was scandalous, it was disgusting. There is enough money in the Church to pay compensation without asking the ordinary people to put their hands in their pockets.' Tim Breen, Rosbercon. 'It is very wrong. They should sell off their own properties to raise their own money. It was them that did wrong and I think the Church should foot all costs. The Church has fallen in my estimation.' Nigel Coady, New Ross. 'It is bad for the bishop to be asking for money. He should be apologising to the people and he isn't apologising. The victims have been waiting long enough for an apology. This is not the parishioners' fault.' Gerard Wright, Wexford. 'I wouldn't think parishes should have to pay. The Catholic Church has enough property, and the bishops have enough land. How may priests are driving around in 2010 Audis? They can't be that short of money.' Jim Berry, Wexford. 'What is being asked is very unfair. The Church is rich enough to pay compensation. If they sold one painting out of the Vatican it would pay for everything. I like the bishop – but I think he was silly to make this request.' Niall Bennett, Rosbercon. 'I don't really agree with it. I feel the families of the victims were most likely to be using the Churches in the first place. My biggest issue is that the Vatican wiped its hands of the issue.' Donie Askins, Enniscorthy. 'I have no millions on me but I wouldn't mind helping out in a small way. I have every sympathy for the current bishop being landed with something that is not his fault and not of his making.' Eileen Duffin, Wexford. 'It's absolutely not on. The perpetrators of these crimes should be the ones who are made pay – not the parishioners who have been hurt enough by these scandals already.' Oliver Curley, Wexford. 'I don't think that they should ask parishioners for money. I would be annoyed by this. The Catholic Church is not helping the situation of improving peoples attitudes towards it.' Padraig Doran, Ramsgrange. 'I don't think it's right for people to be expected to pay for the sins of a few priests. The Church has enough valuable property to sell off. It is not right to ask the people for money who had nothing to do with it.' Elaine Walsh, Enniscorthy. 'This is a touchy subject with me. The bishop wants us to pay off his millions? Well, what about the rest of us? What have the priests ever done for me – with their fancy cars and their bills all paid for?' Carmel Monahan, Coolcotts. 'I don't agree that the public should have to pay. This is not down to the public – it's down to the Church. I think the Catholic Church needs to put things right, but it needs to do it through its own resources.' Andrew Moynihan, Wexford. 'I feel if this were a once off contribution, I would probably give something. But there is a lot of property owned by the religious, and maybe they should be looking towards selling all that off first.' John Fennelly, Rosslare Harbour. 'I wouldn't like to see the Diocese of Ferns collapse. I know a lot of terrible stuff went on, but I like to have the church to come to. I would give them a few bob, maybe.'
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