IRELAND
The Irish Catholic
by Greg Daly
October 20, 2016
The head of the Irish Church’s safeguarding committee has reiterated that keeping clerical abusers out of ministry remains an absolute priority for the Church.
Her comments come against the background of an RTÉ documentary which questions whether the Church’s approach to priests who have harmed children or vulnerable adults demonises abusers and ultimately endangers children.
On ‘Beyond Redemption?’, a Would You Believe? special, UCD’s Dr Marie Keenan claims that the Catholic Church’s response to clerical offenders is driven by public opinion with the intention of protecting the institution.
Theresa Devlin, head of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), told The Irish Catholic that the board’s new guidelines help give clarity to Church bodies in handling clergy and religious against whom allegations have been made. Denying that the policies are intended to protect the Church, she said they are based on extensive research and consultations with survivors, convicted abusers, and Church bodies.
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