BishopAccountability.org
	Editorial: Pope Could Learn from His Bishop Marlborough Express August 12 2010 http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/opinion/4021130/Editorial-Pope-could-learn-from-his-bishop One of the most able religious leaders to come to prominence of late is the archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin. The head of one of Ireland's larger Catholic dioceses, he has taken a strong reformist line, advocating that the church has to change for the sake of its youth. Last year he said the two biggest problems facing young people within the church were its condemnation of gay couples and the question of suicide. These issues, he said, were causing a disconnect between the church and its younger generation, which was leading to a "dramatic and growing rift". He has also advised the Irish people the extent of sexual abuse within the church would "shock us all", with the church having a price to pay for not responding. It comes as no surprise, then, that the archbishop has yet to receive his red hat. It would hardly be out of character for Pope Benedict XVI not to make him a cardinal. But what does beggar belief is the decision by the Pope not to accept the resignations of two Irish bishops who were found to have acted improperly in their management of child abuse cases. The two men will stay as clerics but be found other roles. The inquiry in Ireland headed by Justice Yvonne Murphy that laid bare the occurrences of abuse and named the two bishops in question, Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field, was supposed to be a turning point for the church and the country. But it is up against one of the most powerful institutions in the world. Early indications of the attitude were displayed when Justice Murphy's panel wrote to a Vatican organisation headed by the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger asking for assistance. There was no reply; instead the pope-to-be's office complained that Justice Murphy had not gone through the proper diplomatic channels. This is not an organisation that intended to co-operate with an inquiry, or wanted to even acknowledge a problem. The bishops in their resignation statement said they hoped their departure would help bring peace to the victims of sexual abuse. So what is the Pope saying by refusing to accept them? The answer to that should be of importance to us all. The Pope and the Catholic Church are a huge part of our culture. The One in Four group, which offers support to survivors of sexual abuse, has called the rebuff of the resignations an extraordinary decision by the Vatican. And that it is. But they, like many others, will be buoyed by the rise of Diarmuid Martin and others like him who are facing contemporary issues in an open manner.
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