Martin ‘not satisfied’ with bishops’ responses

THE ARCHBISHOP of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin has pledged to write to the Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray and all other auxiliary bishops who served in Dublin and are named in the Dublin Archdiocese report.

Dr Martin said he was “not satisfied” with some of their responses so far. He pointed out that those bishops named in the report, who are no longer serving in the Dublin archdiocese, could not tailor their responses to people in their current dioceses. “What they did and did not do failed people in Dublin and they owed them a response,” he said.
He said he hoped “they will clarify their positions and respond appropriately”. The archbishop was speaking on RTÉ One’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday night.
“If I am unhappy with answers, I don’t want to be sitting at meetings with people who have not responded to a very serious situation. Everyone should stand up and take responsibility for what they did,” he said.
Although Cratloe, Parteen and Meelick are situated in County Clare, they are included in the Limerick Diocese for ecclesiastical purposes.
The Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray “is not looking to save his position” and has answered all questions related to the Murphy report, it was claimed on Wednesday.
In a statement issued to the media, a spokesman for Bishop Murray said he “had entered into a process of engagement with the people and priests of his diocese as to whether his ministry is a hindrance or help to the diocese”.
The spokesman pointed out that the bishop had conducted a full press conference last Thursday evening, during which he answered all questions.
He also pointed out that the Bishop conducted a number of in-depth interviews with local radio and a regional newspaper, had a letter read out at all masses and addressed the matter thoroughly in his own homily on Sunday at St Joseph’s Church in Limerick.
“We would also like to stress that full consideration is being given to the opinions of all members of the public, not least those in the Archdiocese of Dublin and, particularly, survivors of clerical child sex abuse during Bishop Murray’s time there as an auxiliary bishop. All voices are being heard,” said the spokesman.
Earlier this week, a group in Limerick issued a statement on behalf of priests and parishioners in which they publicly defended the Bishop of Limerick, stating it would be a retrograde step if he was to resign.
The group met last Sunday, hours after the bishop called for guidance from the people and priests of Limerick in a letter read out at masses. One of the organisers, Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon confirmed that other meetings would take place and that consultation would be widened.
In the Dáil yesterday, during a debate on the Dublin report, Taoiseach Brian Cowen described the failure of Church authorities to put children first and act decisively against priests who sexually abused children as “immoral, shameful and scandalous”.
But, under questioning from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, he said it was a matter for the Church authorities and not for the State to deal with bishops implicated in the report.