Abuse survivor criticises papal envoy
A survivor of institutional abuse has today criticised the Pope's envoy for meeting victims in secret during a pilgrimage.
Papal Legate Cardinal Ouellet asked for forgiveness during his penitential pilgrimage to Lough Derg in Co Donegal on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI.
Men and women from both sides of the border who suffered at the hands of clergy spoke of the impact it had had on their lives during a two-hour meeting with the senior churchman.
A spokesman said he was deeply moved by his meeting with the survivors of abuse and would be reporting on the meeting to the Pope on his return to Rome from the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin.
But one leading campaigner, who requested time with the Cardinal, said he was outraged that he was not part of the group.
Michael O'Brien, former Mayor of Clonmel, said he and survivor Christy Heaphy made several calls and sent emails to church administrators for time with the cleric.
"I didn't even get a response," said Mr O'Brien. "The least anybody can do is say: 'Sorry, they can't meet you'.
"I have treated bishops, priests and nuns with respect at all times and all I wanted was for to be respected back.
"I feel like I'm back in Ferryhouse as a little boy being treated so cruelly.
"I was abused by priest and brothers, not just beaten but buggered every day.
"The least they could do is meet us."
Cardinal Ouellet celebrated Mass in St Patrick's Basilica on the island with around 100 Irish and international pilgrims.
In his homily, he said the Pope had asked that he go to Lough Derg and ask God's forgiveness for the times clerics had sexually abused children not only in Ireland but anywhere in the Church.
"I come here with the specific intention of seeking forgiveness, from God and from the victims, for the grave sin of sexual abuse of children by clerics," he said.
"We have learned over the last decades how much harm and despair such abuse caused to thousands of victims.
"We learned too that the response of some Church authorities to these crimes was often inadequate and inefficient in stopping the crimes, in spite of clear indications in the code of canon law.
"In the name of the church, I apologise once again to the victims, some of which I have met here in Lough Derg."
Mr O'Brien, who is in his late 70s, spent eight years in St Joseph's School, Ferryhouse, Clonmel, under the Rosminian Order.
He hit back at the church's calls for forgiveness and questioned if the meeting - which he described as secret - even happened.
"I have been told they didn't want any media there, but if they were meeting survivors they would have wanted media there," he said.
"If they want to ask for forgiveness sit down and ask us for it," he added.
"Bring some of us to Rome to meet the Pope."
A Catholic church spokesman said no further details about those who met the Cardinal would be released, to respect the privacy of victims.
He added that the Papal Legate, the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown, and Bishop of Clogher Liam MacDaid, fasted and participated in other penitential exercises with pilgrims when they stayed overnight on the island.
Thousands of pilgrims from around the world are attending the week-long Congress, which has been dubbed the "spiritual Olympics" of the Catholic church.
Hundreds of cardinals and bishops and thousands of priests, deacons and nuns are attending events in Dublin, with up to 80,000 expected at the closing service in Croke Park on Sunday.
