Irish church obsessively hid child abuse: report

[tericared]

 DUBLIN (Reuters) – Roman Catholic archbishops in Dublin obsessively covered up widespread sexual abuse of children by priests until the mid-1990s, a report commissioned by the Irish government said on Thursday.

One priest admitted abusing more than 100 children. Another said he had abused every two weeks for over 25 years, it said.

All archbishops in charge over the 1975-2004 period covered by the inquiry were aware of some complaints and the archdiocese was pre-occupied with protecting the reputation of the Church over and above protecting children's welfare, the report said.

It said the Church was "obsessively" concerned with secrecy and operated a policy of "don't ask, don't tell" about abuse.

"Unfortunately, it may be that the very prominent role which the Church has played in Irish life is the very reason why abuses by a minority of its members were allowed to go unchecked," it said.

The report, designed to show how the Church and state responded to charges of abusing children, said a representative sample of 46 priests against whom complaints were leveled at made it "abundantly clear" that abuse was widespread.

The inquiry, which came six months after a similarly damning report about Church-run industrial and reform schools, also accused state officials of abetting the cover-up.

The government acknowledged the errors of state agencies mentioned in the report, and Justice Minister Dermot Ahern told a news conference of his revulsion at the findings.

Similar abuse cover-up charges have dogged the Catholic Church in other countries, especially the United States. Seven dioceses there have filed for bankruptcy protection to shield themselves from law suits by abuse victims.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091126/wl_nm/us_ireland_abuse;_ylt=AnXfPyEvZtdLIqMS_GYZt8Rn.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTM1aWZ2MGYyBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMDkxMTI2L3VzX2lyZWxhbmRfYWJ1c2UEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM2BHBvcwM2BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDcmVwb3J0aXJpc2hj

[stormcris]

I have often thought that perhaps people higher up in religious affiliations think they are above the law of man and that their sins are forgiven by God. True repentance means you stop though. 

[tericared]

Quoting stormcris:

I have often thought that perhaps people higher up in religious affiliations think they are above the law of man and that their sins are forgiven by God. True repentance means you stop though. 

I have to agree and add that if something was done right away just think of the children they could have saved from being abused...

[sweetie00]

I know this is weird, but I am pretty sure that the priest in my DH's small town is gay, and he has this young man  go with  him everywhere. It's creepy.

....operated a policy of "don't ask, don't tell" about abuse.

THAT IS HEINOUS.

[sweetie00]

I should clarify. The 'young man' is about 15 or 16, and I don't care if a priest is gay, (I'm not catholic)but I'm sure his congregation would! And of course, if he were having relations with the boy, of course that's not OK with me regardless of sexual orientation.

[PamR]

Not really surprising, is it?

[tericared]

Quoting PamR:

Not really surprising, is it?

The length of the denial and cover up is...

All archbishops in charge over the 1975-2004 period covered by the inquiry were aware of some complaints and the archdiocese was pre-occupied with protecting the reputation of the Church over and above protecting children's welfare, the report said.

 

[ddbz]

I'm thoroughly convinced that this is happening throughout the world wherever there is a Catholic-run institution. 

[tericared]

Quoting ddbz:

I'm thoroughly convinced that this is happening throughout the world wherever there is a Catholic-run institution. 

I think anywhere there are groups of kids who are in the company of adults on a day to day basis..it is happening.

[jaxTheMom]

I used to date a guy from the west coast of Ireland, and he was (of course) active in the church as a child in the mid-70s.  He told me that for some reason, he was never "messed with" but many, many of his friends were.

[margroc]

I think it really is a crime what has happened to these children and what the church has done to hide the facts.  Sadly, this is not a new story.

What I think is also sad is that there are some on here who will interpret this post as "christian bashing", while I am positive that is not the intent. 

If the Church took this matter seriously at the time, it would only have benefitted them in such that people would be able to trust that they actually practice what they preach.  To do nothing is to prove yourself corrupt and untrustworthy, which is certainly not very "Godlike" at all.