Cardinal asks for abuse victims' forgiveness
Cardinal Desmond Connell tonight asked for forgiveness from child sex abuse victims who suffered at the hands of paedophile priests under his control.
The senior cleric said he was distressed and bewildered that those in such a sacred position could be responsible for the heinous crimes.
The 83-year-old, who was among four Archbishops criticised for not handing over information to authorities on abusers, said the abuse of children was an unspeakable crime.
“Although I am all too aware that such apologies and expressions of regret can never be adequate as a response to so much hurt and violation, and, in any case, lose value through repetition, I apologise again now from my heart,” he said in a statement.
The Cardinal said that, from the time he became aware of this history, he has experienced distress and bewilderment that those placed in a position of sacred trust could be guilty of such heinous offences and caused such appalling harm to vulnerable young people.
“The abuse of children is an unspeakable crime,” he continued.
“Perpetrated by priests, it becomes something even more gravely reprehensible involving as it does so grievous a betrayal of innocence and trust.
“I wish to express without reservation my bitter regret that failures on my part contributed to the suffering of victims in any form.”
Although critical of the Cardinal, the sickening report gave him credit for instigating two secret canon law trials, despite strong opposition from one of the most powerful canonists in the Archdiocese, Monsignor Sheehy.
They led to two priests being defrocked.
In 1995 he also handed over files on 17 suspect priests to gardaí, although it was later revealed he was aware of at least 28 at the time.
Survivors have demanded the Cardinal and other senior figures face a criminal investigation.
Cardinal Connell said he was asking for the forgiveness of those who have been so shamefully harmed.
“It has long being my prayer that they may be able to rebuild their lives and find healing and hope,” he added.
The Cardinal, the former head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, claims he was appalled at the scale of abuse when he took office in 1988.
However, he caused outrage last year when he sparked a legal battle to try to block the inquiry having access to 5,500 files on priests and abuse allegations.
He secured a temporary injunction at the High Court before withdrawing the legal action two weeks later, narrowly avoiding a damaging public row with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
The Commission found that, while he personally only saw very few complainants, his strategies in the civil cases, while legally acceptable, often added to the hurt and grief of many victims.
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