IRELAND
Vatican Insider
The Catholic bishop of Clonfert has publicly apologised for moving two priests to another parish after they were accused of committing sexual abuse against minors in the 90’s
Giacomo Galeazzi
Vatican City
Moving the two priests on to another parish was “a grave mistake”. The decision was completely inadequate given the seriousness of the accusations against him – John Kirby now admits -. “I was not aware at the time of the sinister nature and repeat behaviour of the abuser or of the life-long damage caused to the child,” the Irish bishop said.
So it seems the “unfaithful clergy” crisis has not yet come to an end, as Benedict XVI reiterated in his concluding video message for the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin.
After a thousand-year-old history of loyalty to the Gospel, Ireland and the Irish Catholic Church have “recently been shaken in an appalling way by the revelation of sins committed by priests and consecrated persons against people entrusted to their care.”
The Pope denounced their actions, stating: “Instead of showing them the path towards Christ, towards God, instead of bearing witness to his goodness, they abused people and undermined the credibility of the Church’s message.” Under Benedict XVI, the Holy See’s response to the plague of paedophilia in the Catholic Church of Ireland has been tough.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.