US cardinal pulls out of Dublin visit which Limerick Bishop calls 'pivotal for Church’

The visit of Pope Francis presents a crossroads moment for the Church in Ireland to acknowledge its past, both the good and the bad, a bishop said yesterday.

US cardinal pulls out of Dublin visit which Limerick Bishop calls 'pivotal for Church’

By Stephen Rodgers and Eddie Cassidy

A prominent US cardinal — and the head of the church’s commission on child protection — has pulled out of next week’s World Meeting of Families in Ireland due to allegations in his own diocese.

A statement on behalf of Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston and chair of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Children, said “important matters pertaining to the pastoral care of St. John’s Seminary in the Archdiocese of Boston and the seminarians enrolled in the formation programme there require the cardinal’s personal attention and presence".

The cardinal had been due to chair a World Meeting panel on “Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults” on August 24. Among those also on the panel is abuse survivor Marie Collins who resigned from the Commission for the Protection of Minors last year.

Earlier this week, Cardinal O’Malley wrote on the Archdiocese website that he had been informed that two former seminarians of St. John’s Seminary made allegations that during their time at the seminary they “witnessed and experienced activities which are directly contrary to the moral standards and requirements of formation for the Catholic priesthood".

He said an inquiry was to take place into the allegations, “the culture of the seminary regarding the personal standards expected and required of candidates for the priesthood, and any reformaseminary issues of sexual harassment or other forms of intimidation or discrimination”.

The latest development comes after a grand jury report released earlier this week in Pennsylvania a cover up of sex abuse by more than 300 priests over three generations in that state, according to the Boston Globe. The investigation found there were at least 1,000 victims

The visit of Pope Francis presents a crossroads moment for the Church in Ireland to acknowledge its past, both the good and the bad, a bishop said yesterday.

“It is good for us to recall with a grateful heart just how much the Church contributed to Irish society,” the Bishop of Limerick said.

But Bishop Brendan Leahy also said: “But to acknowledge, with gratitude, the good can never eclipse recognition of sin, criminality and evil.

Bishop Brendan Leahy
Bishop Brendan Leahy

“We need to acknowledge the dark aspects of our Church’s history that have come to light especially in recent decades — a clericalism that ended up confusing power and ministry, the sexual abuse of minors by clergy and religious that did untold life-long damage to victims, the violent and repressive treatment by Church representatives of young people sent to the State’s reformatory institutions, the dark experience of vulnerable women in places meant to be residences of refuge.

Sadly, as has been highlighted, cover-up, wilful or otherwise, and mismanagement compounded the damage, adding to our shame.

“We know that not every bishop or priest or sister or brother or layperson engaged in Church circles was bad.

“And we know that not everyone was good. Those of us of a certain age, however, know many, many who were very kind, caring and helpful.

“In some way, everyone in the Church bears the shame of these dark aspects of our history. Few of us can throw stones as if we ourselves were not somehow associated.”

However, Bishop Leahy urged Catholics to adjust their “spiritual antennae” to pick up the signals God will be sending into their hearts and minds in the days of the World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis’ visit.

If we know how to grasp the moment, the Pope’s visit can be a pivotal moment for our Church and for our society,” he said.

At a Feast of the Assumption homily delivered at a Mass rock in Killeedy, Co Limerick, the bishop said: “Without gratitude, we grow cynical. We can and should be proud of the living commitment in faith and hope of those of previous generations. We can draw inspiration from it and express our thanks to them.”

His homily was built around three pillars for preparing for the Pope’s arrival. Bishop Leahy said “the first is the need to acknowledge the good and bad of the past, with the second that we need to be proactive in repairing the Church”. It really is better, he said, to light a candle than curse the darkness.

The third element, he continued, was to look to the future with hope: “Catholics can be downbeat today because it is painful to acknowledge in our family story that we have wounded people.

It isn’t easy, not least for those who are proud of their Church and the good work that it does and they do in it, to hear our own Catholic identity pilloried daily in one way or another,” he said.

And, in a message to young people, the bishop said: “There are many, many very fine young people today, with great values of respect and toleration and inclusiveness. Their difficulty with finding a connection with the Church isn’t their fault. We need young people to help Church-attending members to find the way forward on how to reconnect youth cultures and Church.”

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

National Risk Assessment for Ireland Tánaiste urges Israel ‘to show humanity’ and allow more aid into Gaza
Travel Stock - Geneva - Switzerland UN human rights body calls for repeal or amendment of Troubles legacy laws
National Risk Assessment for Ireland Medicine-resistant infections the biggest risk facing Ireland, experts warn
War_map
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited