A very bad day for the bishop
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AFTER all that has been said and done, it is utterly incomprehensible that a Catholic bishop in charge of an Irish diocese, which has been plagued by sex abuse scandals and cover-ups, should be so blissfully unaware of the resonances his request to parishioners to help fund compensation would have.
Considering all the dreadful revelations and all the expressions of concern for victims, it is quite extraordinary that a bishop could fail to recognise that his request for donations to effectively help pay the church's legal costs would be regarded with contempt by those who suffered abuse and that the clumsy language he used would sound condescending.
Dr Denis Brennan, of the Co Wexford diocese of Ferns, said his appeal was not about sharing the blame but asking for help to meet responsibilities. Presumably he meant that his request for donations should not be interpreted as an attempt to extend responsibility and accountability for the sexual abuse of children to the people of the diocese.
An inquiry into paedophile priests in Ferns uncovered an appalling catalogue of abuse, with more than 100 allegations against 21 priests from the 1960s to 2005. Bishop Brendan Comiskey, who resigned in 2002, was found to have been negligent. The Vatican had been aware of complaints but chose to do nothing, the report found.
In view of this, the suggestion made more than once yesterday, that the Vatican should be asked to pay, rather than the ordinary parishioners of Wexford, is logical.
