Sunday, March 21 2010

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Pope Benedict XVI

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Brady won't be removed by hierarchy outsiders

Sunday March 21 2010

'Hopelessly inadequate" was how the Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, described his actions in relation to paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth in his homily at St Patrick's Day Mass. The inadequacies to which he referred relate to meetings in 1975 between the then Fr Brady -- part-time secretary to the Bishop of Kilmore -- and two children who accused Fr Brendan Smyth, a rapacious paedophile, of assaulting them.

Pope takes steps to real contrition

Sunday March 21 2010

Pope Benedict has taken an important first step in what will be a long road of reconciliation between his church and the Irish people. His pastoral letter, which will be read in Roman Catholic churches across Ireland today, is far from being an adequate response to the suffering caused by his church in recent decades, but it is a start. He recognises the grave errors of his bishops and tells the victims of abuse that their "trust has been betrayed and [their] dignity has been violated".

Scandal shows how prone we are to hypocrisy and hysteria

Sunday March 21 2010

I had a struggle to feel proud to be Irish this St Patrick's Day. Normally I would have smiled tolerantly at the ubiquitous shamrock-bespattered leprechaun hats and orange beards infesting central London. But I was afflicted by an attack of existential gloom, brought on by listening to Morning Ireland in full cry over Cardinal Sean Brady.

Papal epistle starts healing process

Sunday March 21 2010

It was a sunny morning in Armagh yesterday, and St Patrick's Cathedral was warm and bright. But, as he celebrated Mass, Cardinal Sean Brady looked tired and dignified rather than happy or pleased. He was about to read us the Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland.

Letter falls short of victims' expectations

Sunday March 21 2010

The failure of Pope Benedict in his long-awaited pastoral letter to Irish Catholics to deal with any Vatican responsibility for the clerical child sex abuse scandal or the "deliberate" policy of the church in Ireland to protect paedophile priests was criticised by victims' groups yesterday.

Full text of the Pope's letter

Saturday March 20 2010

Here is the full text of the pastoral letter from Pope Benedict XVI about clerical abuse in Ireland:

Can mere words restore faith?

Saturday March 20 2010

CAN mere words, even those of the leader of the Catholic Church, undo the damage that has been done to victims of clerical child abuse and restore any of the Irish church's lost authority? Today we will learn the contents of the Pope's long-awaited letter to the Catholics of Ireland.

A display of utter contempt

Saturday March 20 2010

PASSPORT Office workers' treatment of the public, whom they are supposed to serve, has been extremely ignorant and ill-mannered. There were angry scenes and a brief sit-in at the Dublin office yesterday when the counters were closed abruptly as people who had queued for hours waited to collect their passports.

Victims' support group urges Pope to admit cover-up

Saturday March 20 2010

VICTIM support group One in Four has called on Pope Benedict to admit that the Catholic Church operated a deliberate policy of covering up child sex abuse.