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	View of Monsignor Dooley Rejected The Irish Times March 18, 2010 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0318/breaking78.html Archbishop Dermot Clifford has distanced himself for remarks made by Monsignor Maurice Dooley over the reporting of concerns to the appropriate State authorities. Archbishop Dermot Clifford has distanced himself for remarks made by Monsignor Maurice Dooley over the reporting of allegation of child abuse to the appropriate State authorities. In a statement released this afternoon Bishop Clifford said views expressed by Msgr Dooley “are his own personal views” and “do not represent the policy or the practice of the Catholic Church in Ireland today concerning the reporting of allegations of abuse to the civil authorities, North and South.” In an interview during the Today with Pat Kenny show on Monday Mgr Dooley said Cardinal Sean Brady “had no obligation whatsoever” to report allegations of abuse to the Garda Siochana when he first learned of them as a priest 35 years ago. Msgr Maurice Dooley, a former professor of canon law, said it was neither a civil crime nor a sin against the law of God for the clergy not to report such matters to gardai. Asked by Kenny if it would have been better for Cardinal Brady to have gone to the Garda in 1975, when he was working as a priest under bishop of Kilmore Francis McKiernan, Msgr Dooley replied: “I don’t think so. “Fr Brady was dealing with a particular in camera investigation within the church. It would be a violation of his obligations if he went to the police on that. What he did was to go to the bishop, pass the report back to the bishop. “The bishop, within the context of the church law, silenced this particular paedophile priest and that was all the church could do.” When put to him that had the then Fr Brady gone to gardai many other children would have been saved from abuse by paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth, Msgr Dooley said this was “hypothesis”. He said it was the duty of abuse victims and their parents to report instances of abuse and the duty of gardai to investigate them. However, in the statement issued today Bishop Clifford said: “As his bishop and on behalf of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, I want to state that all concerns that come to light are reported fully and without delay to the State authorities. “The policy and practice of this diocese, and every diocese, is to report all allegations to the statutory authorities. “As a consequence, I have spoken to Monsignor Dooley today and he assures me that he will not be speaking again in this controversy. “I regret the distress, anger, and confusion that Mgr Dooley's remarks have caused in recent days to all concerned.”
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