Vatican is oblivious to people's anger
Thursday February 18 2010
The failure of the Pope to seize the opportunity to apologise to victims of clerical and institutional abuse in Ireland is an insult to the brave men and women who have stood up and shared their harrowing experiences of sexual abuse.
The formulaic tone of the Vatican statement shows just how oblivious the Vatican is to the real anger and hurt that is being felt by the people of Ireland.
The Pope speaks of the "general crisis of faith" as a "contributing factor in the phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors".
He is suggesting that in the absence of faith we are incapable of discerning whether sexually abusing a child is right or wrong.
As a man of no religious faith, I find this insidious and deeply insulting.
He also refers to the commitment of the bishops to co-operate with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
That such a board needs to exist is a sad reflection on the state of the Catholic Church in this country today.
Policies and procedures should not be needed in order to let us know that to sexually abuse an innocent child is morally wrong. Policies and procedures should not be needed to know that facilitating paedophiles in their abuse of innocent children is morally wrong.
The Pope continues to hide behind the language of diplomacy, his utterances devoid of any meaningful remorse.
Sean Smith
Navan, Co Meath
There was and still is a time for Ireland to take a world lead in radical reform in church structure as the abuse is a universal problem. The Murphy report forced the Church to begin to take steps and it looked good in the beginning with some resignations, but there's a long way to go.
My heart goes out to the survivors of abuse who had hoped this summit would bring some meaningful response from the top. But as the bishops return from what looked like the Last Supper, all that really happened was that they kissed the Pope's ring.
No wonder the survivors are saddened and disappointed, having seen their hopes dashed and their representations to Rome ignored.
Eamonn Cotter
Celbridge, Co Kildare
Irish Independent
