Sorry the hardest word for clergy
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican's permanent representative to the UN, has defended the Catholic Church by claiming the Church was "busy cleaning its own house" and that "the problem (of child abuse) was more widespread" in other religions (Irish Independent, September 29).
Mr Tomasi, in a preposterous response to the UN Human Rights Council, also claimed that children were at more risk of abuse from family friends or babysitters than clerics; most congregations affected by child sex allegations in the US were "Protestant churches", while the problem was also common in the Jewish community.
Does Mr Tomasi not realise it was the blatant cover-up and denial, as well as the abuse, by the Catholic Church that disturbed and angered so many people. While his feeble use of the logical fallacy tu quoque ("you, also") is reprehensible to say the least. This is not about passing the buck or shifting the blame but about owning up to one's actions.
Sorry, in this set of indefensible circumstances, would certainly seem to be the hardest word.
Gary J Byrne
IFSC, Dublin 1
Irish Independent
