Victim to lead protest over Church gag on O'Gorman
A SEX abuse survivor is to protest at a Mass of reconciliation tomorrow against a decision by Church leaders to withdraw an invitation to the founder of the One in Four organisation, Colm O'Gorman, to address the congregation.
John Kelly, a leading member of Survivors of Child Abuse, (SOCA), said yesterday that he and other colleagues will show solidarity with Mr O'Gorman by attending the Mass at Drogheda's Augustinian church which commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland.
"Instead of banning Mr O'Gorman from the pulpit, Cardinal Sean Brady and the bishops should be encouraging abuse victims to address parish congregations," Mr Kelly told the Irish Independent.
"They (the clergy) don't want the issue addressed except on their own terms."
The invitation had been extended to Mr O'Gorman, now executive director of Irish Amnesty International, by Drogheda Augustinian priest and well-known broadcaster, Fr Iggy O'Donovan. Mr O'Gorman told the Irish Independent yesterday that he had accepted Fr O'Donovan's invitation to speak on how all those hurt by abuse scandals might move forward from a shared trauma.
But he said that he was completely taken by surprise on Wednesday when a disappointed Fr O'Donovan contacted him to say that the church authorities in the diocese of Armagh had contacted his religious superiors, and that he was to "uninvite" him.
- John Cooney Religion Correspondent
