Walsh defends backing of embattled colleague
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BISHOP of Killaloe Willie Walsh last night defended his backing of embattled Bishop of Limerick, but admitted he regretted causing offence to victims of clerical child sex abuse.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Dr Walsh said that he felt that the Murphy commission should have given Bishop Donal Murray more credit for his overall tackling of child abuse rather than concentrating on one investigation of a complaint which it described as "inexcusable."
Dr Walsh also said that his description of calls for Bishop Murray's resignation as "a kind of public trial" was not meant to be contemptuous of the intelligence of ordinary Catholics who want their bishops to accept moral responsibility for their failures to protect children from paedophile clergy.
Dr Walsh said he was upset that victims of abuse had phoned his office in Ennis to complain about comments he made on radio that calls for Bishop Murray's resignation were more "about healing of survivors" than getting a "head on a plate".
"I am upset that I offended victims, but most of those who rang in to my office were victims who don't know what I have done in support of victims.
On yesterday's RTE 'Morning Ireland' programme Dr Walsh declined to back demands for senior bishops criticised in the Murphy report, particularly Bishop Murray, to stand down.
He said its damning findings were being "grossly misread" in relation to the head of the Limerick diocese.
Last night Dr Walsh said that, although he had not read the full report, he had read the section on Bishop Murray after its publication and discussed it with a Limerick priest, who had pointed out its lack of emphasis on positive child protection procedures implemented by Bishop Murray.
- John Cooney
Irish Independent
