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Clergy who admit child abuse 'courageous', says Catholic archbishop
* Riazat Butt
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 May 2009 19.45 BST
The new leader of Catholics in England and Wales has provoked outrage after describing members of the clergy who admitted abusing children in their care as courageous for facing up to their past.
The comments by the Most Rev Vincent Nichols follow the release of a report that revealed Catholic priests and nuns terrorised thousands of boys and girls in the Irish Republic, while government inspectors failed to stop the continuing beatings, rapes and humiliation.
In an interview broadcast to be broadcast tonight on ITV's News at Ten, Nichols said: "It's very distressing and very disturbing and my heart goes out today first of all to those people who will find that their stories are now told in public.
"Secondly, I think of those in religious orders and some of the clergy in Dublin who have to face these facts from their past, which instinctively and quite naturally they'd rather not look at.
"That takes courage, and also we shouldn't forget that this account today will also overshadow all of the good that they also did."
Nichols, who will today be installed as the archbishop of Westminster, replacing Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, was responding to the 2,600-page report from Ireland's commission to inquire into child abuse.
Child protection groups were quick to condemn Nichols, who has been widely praised in the past for his communication skills and ease with the media.
Michele Elliot, chief executive of the charity Kidscape, said that while she was glad Nichols acknowledged the scandal of paedophilia in the priesthood, she was unhappy that he had tempered the apology.
"It is ludicrous. It should be a straightforward mea culpa. It is a moral stance and he should say that it is all about the children and the rest of them be damned. There are no excuses for religious orders.
"If I were a victim of child abuse I would feel that his real concern is for priests and nuns."
The controversy threatens to overshadow tomorrow's installation, which will be attended by more than 2,200 guests including Lord Guthrie (representing Prince Charles), Paul Murphy (representing the prime minister), the Duke of Norfolk, the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the archbishop of York, John Sentamu, cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, and hundreds of clergy.
A spokesman for the Irish Survivors of Child Abuse organisation also attacked Nichols.
Former industrial schools resident Patrick Walsh said: "Rubbish is too kind of word for what the archbishop has said. I believe I have heard this kind of twaddle uttered by politicians in Ireland like Bertie Ahern, the former prime minister. It is the verbiage of unreason and it leaves me cold. What the archbishop really has to do is take a long hard look at the character and nature of the people he is talking about and ask himself if they are capable of being good."
The row is reminiscent of one that engulfed the early years of O'Connor's administration. It emerged that he had failed to act when a priest, Michael Hill, became known to him as a paedophile. Instead of informing the police, he moved him to the chaplaincy at Gatwick airport, where he believed the priest would no longer be a danger to children.
In 1997, however, Hill was convicted of sex attacks against nine children. After serving three years, he was then given another sentence of five years for assaults on three more boys.
At the time, O'Connor argued that there was little understanding about paedophilia and he survived calls for his resignation. He was cleared by an inquiry and set up the Nolan commission, which established a more rigorous child protection system.
Added: May 20 2009 In: news_politics
Recorded on: May 20 2009By: allyssa
- Tags:
- child abuse,
- Catholic archbishop,
- paedophiles,
- Ireland,
- Views: 814 |
- Votes: 0 |
- Recommendations: 1 |
- Comments: 12
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Comments - sort by newest to oldest
Anyone surprised?
Religion, eh.
Posted May-20-2009 by "allyssa" (R)
Religion, eh.
Not one bit. Everywhere they went the diddling followed. Indigenous, Irish, <put nationality/race here>... etc.
Posted May-20-2009 by "chartsky" (R)
Religion, eh.
Well since teachers molest more children in one year than all the priests in the world have molested in 59 years id say its really not too remarkable.
Whats suprising is the selective outrage about pedophilia. Its almost as if some people could care less about the welfare of the children, and rather use the issue to bolster whatever ridiculous agenda they have personally.
Maybe when a teacher rapes their children they will wake up...and there's a good chance it will happen.
Fully 15% of the children that go to school have been molested or raped, by a teacher or other educator.
Posted May-20-2009 by "Awsomatic" (R)
When I wanted to stop going to church, I went to see a nice priest I knew. I am, to this day, openly atheistic.
It was Father Vin. (Most Rev Vincent Nichols mentioned in the article.) He was cool, totally trustworthy and did not fill any of the stereotypes.
He basically told me to follow my conscience.
In claiming that priests who admit to abuse are courageous, I totally agree. They should be encouraged to do so and let justice and bring about some kind of truly righteous conclusion to be acheived.
Good luck to him. He's the right sort of religious.
Posted May-20-2009 by "shashi2005" (R)
Well, it's a bit of spin, but I'd have to admit that those who admit it are more courageous than those who continue to hide it.
Posted May-20-2009 by "tony123A" (R)
Who'd have thought.
Posted May-20-2009 by "evilscotsman" (R)
it's funny people believe in this shit. beating children is what jesus did?
Posted May-21-2009 by "triplette" (R)
So to be a christian, you must do everything jesus did/'nt do?
If what you're proclaiming is true, you would be fine if I joined islam and went around slicing jews heads off? hmmm
quite a few holes
Posted May-21-2009 by "Parabellumus" (R)
Courageous? Some old priest who raped little boys fifty years ago and now on his deathbed admits to some past indiscretions? Whatever happened to pure honesty in judgement?
And by the way, the celibacy of Christ occurred under Rabbinical law, which meant he could not have sex with a women while she was impure (on the rag). The celibacy of the catholic priesthood had to do with primogeniture and the loss of church property.
Look it up.
Posted May-21-2009 by "SeeNoEvil" (R)
So to be a christian, you must do everything jesus did/'nt do?
If what you're proclaiming is true, you would be fine if I joined islam and went around slicing jews heads off? hmmm
quite a few holes
non sequitur.
where did i say a religions doctrine is justified in its actions by the existence of that religion? jesus did tell his followers not to beat people. have you read the sermon on the mound..."turn the other cheek" ring a bell? i was pointing out the hypocrisy of christian authorities doing very unchristian things. and i think there is a difference between not abusing children and cutting off peoples heads. you created the "holes".
Posted May-21-2009 by "triplette"