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November 2005 ArchivesAct of infamy - the Nora Wall storyAct of infamy - the Nora Wall story ?There are two ways to approach life - as a victim or as a gallant fighter.? The words are those of Nora Wall, an Irish nun falsely accused and jailed for life... I WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS?I WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS ? NOT ON THE HILL OF CALVARY, BUT ON EVERY TV SCREEN AND NEWSPAPER? Irish Examiner, February 06, 2004 by M?che?l Lehane NORA WALL was sentenced to life in prison after she was wrongly... Diocese of Ferns to face ?5m bill for child abuseWednesday November 30th 2005 Sarah Murphy THE Diocese of Ferns is facing a compensation bill of ?5m in the coming year due to ongoing clerical sex abuse claims, the Irish Independent has learned. It was revealed at the closed Annual... Ex-nun in botched rape case bids to clear name David Quinn NORA Wall, the ex-nun who had her life sentence for rape quashed six years ago, is applying to the Court of Criminal Appeal for a certificate declaring a Miscarriage of Justice. Her case appears before the court... NORA WALL in Court of Criminal Appeal on 1st December Nora Wall's application for a certificate declaring a Miscarriage of Justice comes before the Court of Criminal Appeal on Thursday, 1st December. Most (though not all) of the elements of this legal lynching are contained in this RTE report... Martin celebrates Mass in Latin as ban easesMonday November 28th 2005 David Quinn Religious Affairs Correspondent DR Diarmuid Martin yesterday became the first Archbishop of Dublin since John Charles McQuaid to offer Mass in Latin according to the old pre-Vatican II rite. The Mass was celebrated in... Bishop's house may be sold to pay claimsMonday November 28th 2005 Sarah Murphy THE Catholic diocese of Ferns may still be forced to sell the bishop's house in Wexford town due to ongoing claims against the Church involving clerical sexual abuse. The annual general meeting of the... Ferns used to tar allMonday November 28th 2005 Sir - Some of the media and a certain anti-catholic element have used the Ferns Report as an excuse for blanket condemnation of the Catholic Church. All have been tarred with the same brush and the... CATHOLIC CHURCH MUST CONFRONT DISTORTED VIEW OF SEXUALITY Madam, - I would like to encourage support for Bishop Willie Walsh in regard to issues in the Catholic Church which he raised in a recent speech at Christ Church Cathedral (The Irish Times, November 7th). He talked about... Catholic Church and child abuse 27 November 2005 I am a little surprised by the response to Kieron Wood's article of November 13, as recorded in letters to the editor last Sunday. The issue isn't whether the percentage of priests involved in abuse is... The days of sex, secrets, scandal and shame at the seminarySunday November 27th 2005 EVERYBODY was afraid of Dr Sherwood. My mother was afraid of him at meetings of Pax Romana, the lay Catholic discussion group in Enniscorthy, our town, because he had a way of glaring at women members... I'm a lost male and the therapist didn't help Sunday November 27th 2005 QI read with interest your reply recently to a lady who had been abused as a child. You advised her to seek out a therapist. My question is, what type? Last Friday, I parted with... Sometimes it seems our academics learn nothingSaturday November 26th 2005 The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has spread the tentacles of its curiosity into the academic world, "inviting" University College Dublin to carry out a study of the long-term effects on those who were in... Jesuits have not a single trainee priest in IrelandDavid Quinn Religious Affairs Correspondent THE Jesuits in Ireland are now attracting fewer vocations than anywhere else in the world. This is despite the fact that they run several of the country's most high profile schools, including Belvedere College and... GIVING CHURCHES DUE CREDIT A chara, - Not for the first time, Breda O'Brien brings a badly needed sense of balance to the debate on the role of the churches in education, health and other areas (Opinion, November 19th). She rightly upbraids Liz... Statement of Redress BoardFriday, 25th November 2005 The Board is issuing the following statement in response to recent queries regarding the validity of applications. The Board accepts that matters such as proof of residence, which may be outside the control of the applicant... Church will not banish gay priests, says archbishopDavid Quinn Religious Affairs Correspondent THE Church does not exclude homosexuals from the priesthood, the Archbishop of Dublin claimed last night. Dr Diarmiud Martin was reacting to the leaking of a Vatican document on whether homosexual men should be ordained... TD 'slower' to seek church's withdrawalMark Brennock 25/11/2005 Minister of State Tim O'Malley said last night he would be "a little slower than some" to demand that the Catholic Church "withdraw from every forum of decision-making" in the State. In a speech at UCD's Literary... PRIESTS AND CELIBACY Madam, - Joe Patton (November 17th) links priests' misbehaviour to celibacy when he explains the rage of a usually mild-mannered priest by his sexual frustration. Mr Patton proposes marriage as solution to sexual frustration in taming sexual drive, the... 44 abuse claims against childcare workers Thursday November 24th 2005 David Quinn Social Affairs Correspondent A TOTAL of 44 child abuse allegations have been made against workers in children's homes over the last five years, the Irish Independent has learned. The figures have come to... CATHOLIC CHURCH AND CHILD ABUSE Madam, - At a time when the church in Ireland has been shaken to its foundations and priests in particular have been vilified by an avaricious media it is important to remember that the Catholic Church is our church... 53 year old man convicted of sexually assaulting 13 year-old 16:30 Wednesday November 23rd 2005 A 53-year-old English writer was today convicted of orally raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old County Leitrim girl ten years ago. John Mold of Rassaun West, Manorhamilton was remanded on bail for sentencing on... CHURCH AND SEX ABUSE Madam, - The article in your edition of November 17th from the President of St Patrick's College Maynooth under the heading "Maynooth determined to emerge from shadows" is just amazing. In it, Mgr Dermot Farrell concentrates almost entirely upon... THE REASON WHYMy Background and Reasons for Action I was a member of the De La Salle Brothers from about September 1966 to about March 1969: I was aged 16 to 19 and spent most of my time in training though I... Must do better Ms Buckley?Ms Christine Buckley was recently quoted in the media as stating that the compensation payment for those claiming abuse in the Institutions has dropped because of the so called 'Idemnity deal'. She claims that because the congregations have limited their... Dream dashed with paedophile scandal19 November 2005 Bertie Ahern could only offer a sense of disappointment at the appalling high figures of clerical child abuse within the Catholic Church across the Republic revealed in the Wexford Ferns report. These are measly words for what... The church shelters child molesters and accused child molestersCanon law system is compromised 21/11/2005 Jason Berry The Ferns report raises a question: should the Vatican enjoy the exemptions of international law in its handling of clergy sex offenders? Would diplomatic correspondence between the papal nuncios in Dublin and... Government can't wash its hands of sex abuse scandalSunday November 20th 2005 WHEN Bertie Ahern says that he gave the child sex abuse issue the highest priority during his two terms as Taoiseach, he is being disingenuous. What he has said is this: "I have put child protection... Archbishop moves a step closer to GodDearbhail McDonald NEARER my God to thee: Diarmuid Martin, the archbishop of Dublin, has moved six inches closer to heaven following renovations to his throne at Dublin?s Pro-Cathedral. Carpenters have elevated the archbishop?s seat to make Martin more visible to... Brosnan: ?priest drove my mum from Ireland?Lynne Kelleher PIERCE BROSNAN, the former 007 star, has revealed how his mother was driven out of Ireland because she was shamed from the pulpit over her broken marriage. The actor, who was left in Navan with his grandparents when... Jailed for 7 years...the ex-rugby star who molested kidsJailed for 7 years...the ex-rugby star who molested kids after giving them sweets By Lisa Smyth [email protected] 19 November 2005 A child molester who admitted giving sweets to girls as young as four so they would let him touch their... Lower awards to abuse victims are questionedSaturday November 19th 2005 THE Government was asked last night to explain how the average award by the Redress Board to victims of institutional abuse by religious orders has fallen in the past year. According to Aislinn, the victim support... Solicitors referred to disciplinary tribunal Solicitors referred to disciplinary tribunal 11 firms to appear before independent body over complaints of overcharging abuse survivors Christine Newman 19/11/2005 Complaints about abuse survivors being double-charged for legal costs have resulted in 11 firms of solicitors being referred... 11 solicitors firms referred to tribunal 11 solicitors firms referred to tribunal 18 November 2005 17:44 The Law Society has revealed that 11 firms of solicitors have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for an inquiry in relation to their conduct in Redress Board... ALLIANCE SUPPORT - MUNSTER AREAThe Editor, Irish News of the World, 4th Floor, Bishop?s Square, Redmond Hill, Dublin 2. Fax: 00353 1 4792520 e.mail [email protected] 5th November 2005 Dear Sir, Your article ?Now probe the Brothers? on Sunday the 30th October 2005 is very... Ahern 'disturbed' by abuse Friday November 18th 2005 Campaigner tells of Taoiseach's fury at inaction in child sex cases CAMPAIGNER Colm O'Gorman said the Taoiseach had expressed a "sense of disappointment and betrayal" over the church child abuse saga. The leader of the... Solicitor gets ?75,000 for libel in 'Irish Independent' article18/11/2005 A Co Donegal solicitor has secured ?75,000 damages and costs after a High Court jury last night found he was libelled as a result of being mistakenly named in a newspaper as a man charged with 114 child sex... 'Constructive' meeting with Ahern 17 November 2005 17:52 Colm O'Gorman of the One in Four group has described his meeting with the Taoiseach this afternoon as very amicable and constructive. He said Bertie Ahern had made it very clear that he acknowledged the... Maynooth determined to emerge from shadows17/11/2005 Celibacy is not about control, it is about accepting the embrace of God, writes Mgr Dermot Farrell These past weeks have been very difficult for almost everyone in the Irish Church. People have been shocked and felt betrayed. These... CHURCH, STATE AND EDUCATIONMadam, - The argument for ending Catholic Church management of schools is not a demand to remove individual priests, brothers and nuns from their roles as teachers, as many seem to suggest. It is a demand to end the management... Confronting the ChurchSir - Bruce Arnold is right yet again in championing Liz O'Donnell as a paragon of courage in a country of cowards. To make the RC Church answerable to the Irish people is something that Daniel O'Connell would not dare,... New light cast on Church's integrated education stance14 November 2005 The appalling accounts of sexual abuse by paedophile priests which have been revealed in the Ferns Report and in letters to Writeback are still shocking, even though those offences were first reported several years ago. The number... "States of Fear" & "Suffer the Little Children"Liz O'Donnell T.D. Bertie Ahern, T.D. Taoiseach In response to Ms. O'Donnell's disgusting comments I am sending you some of my own material on Church State relations with particular reference to how it impacted on child abuse allegations. This material... THE REASON WHYWHY I DID NOT REPORT A SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSER Liz O'Donnell T.D. Bertie Ahern T.D. Taoiseach For the past 6 years I have been pursuing journalists and others who have made false allegations of child abuse and child murder. In... "The many battles, mostly lost, between State and Church16 October 2005 Liz O?Donnell TD Bertie Ahern TD Ms. O?Donnell. In your speech to the Dail recently you referred to "The many battles, mostly lost, between State and Church (including)... the non-extradition of Brendan Smyth. The related intrigue in... First duty of the Taoiseach is to the State, not his faith 16/11/2005 It is interesting to note just how many commentators and public representatives have told us in recent days that while there had been a "special relationship" between the Irish State and the Roman Catholic hierarchy, that relationship is... Vatican's silence on Ferns criticised Jimmy Walsh 16/11/2005 Seanad Report: The Government should contact the Papal Nuncio and demand that the Vatican issue a view on the Ferns report, Joe O'Toole (Ind) said. Given that the report was the worst they had seen on... 100 protest outside primate's residence 100 protest outside primate's residence Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent 16/11/2005 Approximately 100 lay Catholics took part in a one-hour protest outside the residence of the Catholic primate, Archbishop Se?n Brady, in Armagh yesterday. Calling for justice for priests... Big rise in calls to rape helplines since report Wednesday November 16th 2005 RAPE Crisis Centres countrywide are 50pc busier since the publication of the Ferns report. According to the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland, the national helpline run by the Dublin branch and the Wexford and Waterford... Protesters demand church 'reparation' for dismissed cleric Wednesday November 16th 2005 A PROTEST was staged yesterday in support of the Ferns 'whistle-blower' Fr Gerard McGinnity. Twenty years ago the hierarchy dismissed Fr McGinnity from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he was a senior dean. The cleric... State 'must probe Elphin sex claims' Wednesday November 16th 2005 THE STATE has been told it must investigate the handling of clerical sex abuse claims in the diocese of Elphin, writes David Quinn.The call from Colm O'Gorman, the head of victim-support group One in Four,... Why our priests need our backing Wednesday November 16th 2005 Sir - At a time when the Catholic Church in Ireland has been shaken to its foundations and priests in particular have been vilified by an avaricious media, it is important to note that the... Archbishop Se?n Brady in Armagh. Protestors march outside Brady residence 15 November 2005 19:45 Almost 100 protestors have staged a protest at the home of Archbishop Se?n Brady in Armagh. They were demonstrating at what they claim is the ill-treatment of priests who suffered... Church and educationSir - As a primary teacher, who has worked both in Ireland and abroad, I would support Liz O' Donnell's recent call for the separation of primary education and the Catholic Church. While we expect our medical profession to be... Bishop let cousin in sex probe work on as priest Tuesday November 15th 2005 A BISHOP knew for three years that an allegation of sex abuse had been made against one of his priests, who is also his cousin. He only asked him to stand aside two weeks ago.... US victims may sue Irish training diocesesSe?n O'Driscoll and Patsy McGarry 15/11/2005 Lawyers representing US clerical child sex abuse victims have indicated they may initiate multi-million-dollar lawsuits against Irish dioceses that trained paedophile priests. They say that if a test case against an Irish diocese, probably... THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE STATE AND EDUCATIONMadam, - The Taoiseach's defence of the Catholic Church's role in Irish education runs counter to the republican values professed by his party. According to CSO figures, less than 90 per cent of this State's population is Catholic. Anecdotal evidence... Victims? sex abuse claims set to top 12,000 mark By Evelyn Ring THE number of compensation claims from survivors of institutional child abuse will top 12,000 when the deadline for applications expires next month. The final figure is double the number of applications predicted when the Residential Institutions... A word to the wise, Bertie Monday November 14th 2005 Sir - "Disappointed" is a word you use when your football team loses, or maybe when you don't do well as you expected in an exam. It is certainly not the appropriate word for a... Armagh protest over bishops' inactionPatsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent As many as 100 people are expected to demonstrate outside the Armagh residence of Catholic primate Archbishop Se?n Brady from noon tomorrow at the ill-treatment of priests who suffered for trying to alert bishops to... THE POWERS OF CANON LAW AND STATE LAW Madam, - There has been much mention in the media in recent times about the canon law of the Catholic Church in relation to the crime of sexual abuse of minors by clergy. The impression being conveyed is that... Solicitors questioned in double fees investigationLIAM COLLINS A NUMBER of solicitors appeared before disciplinary hearings in the Law Society headquarters last week as part of the investigation into legal fees charged to clients whom they represented at the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB). Some solicitors... Fr Bertie and the blonde bombshellIT'S been, I think you'll agree, an extraordinary week. Not least because we learned that our Taoiseach, among his many other talents as socialist, gardener and ladykiller, is also practically a priest. Well, he lives in a seminary for starters,... Comment: Liam Fay: Stop cosying up to the church, BertieIn an era in which several international statesmen claim to speak regularly with God, we should be grateful that Bertie Ahern merely boasts of a hotline to the Vincentian Fathers. What the taoiseach fails to appreciate, however, is that most... Ahern placates abuse victimsTHE taoiseach is to meet with Colm O?Gorman, the director of One in Four, a support group for sexual abuse victims, in an attempt to defuse the row over his defence of the Catholic church. Bertie Ahern will hold a... Legal muddleTHE Law Society both regulates and represents solicitors, and stipulates that it is unprofessional and punishable for solicitors to enter into a conflict of interest. However, the Law Society itself is a spectacular extreme of conflict of interest, ie regulating... Church and State - Review of clerical role is long overdue12/11/05 THE row between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, T?naiste Mary Harney and PD Deputy Liz O?Donnell over the involvement of the Catholic Church in the primary education system has rekindled arguments over the relationship between Church and State in Ireland. Following... The bishops and Bertie Saturday November 12th 2005 ONE of Bertie Ahern's attributes is his calm commonsense in situations where people are losing the run of themselves and calling for extreme action. He is a believer in the maxim that you never kick... Bishop backs end to Church's 'cosy' dealings with StateSaturday November 12th 2005 ONE of the country's most outspoken bishops has supported former junior minister Liz O'Donnell in her row with the Taoiseach about the State's special relationship with the Catholic Church. Bishop of Killaloe Dr Willie Walsh said... Church and State relations today12/11/2005 Sadly, it is a measure of how far the Catholic Church has fallen in public esteem that a member of the Oireachtas could this week maintain that it could not be trusted to be truthful or capable of reforming... D?il deputies quietly bury the institutional ChurchDrapierAn insiders guide to politics: History was made quietly in the D?il this week. Deputies from all sides buried the corpse of the institutional Catholic Church in Ireland. The bishops, who successfully used the "Mother and Child" scheme to bring... Bishop welcomes discussion on schools 11 November 2005 The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise has said he welcomes a discussion on the issue of the future alignment of the nation's schools. But Dr Colm O'Reilly said it would be a great shame if the... The Catholic Church must account for its sins Friday November 11th 2005 And speaking of victims of human weakness, we come to the Ferns Report. It is to be hoped that all of us will realise that what occurred over many, many years and many, many lives,... Ahern defends church's role in educationMark Brennock and Tim O'Brien The Taoiseach has strongly defended the Catholic Church's role in primary school education, saying the State-owned religious communities a great debt of gratitude for its management of schools. After former PD minister of state Liz... Newsletter November 2005Thursday, 10th November 2005 This is the 11th in a series of newsletters which the Board has decided to produce to keep applicants informed from time to time as to the procedures it follows and other developments. The Board?s ?Guide... Deferential church-state link must be ended says O'DonnellTHE STATE must adopt a "no more Mr Nice Guy" approach to the Catholic Church in the wake of the damning Ferns Report, the Dail was told. Progressive Democrat TD Liz O'Donnell said the State could no longer countenance the... Religious orders pay ?8.2m to abuse fund Thursday November 10th 2005 Extra cash comes after State rejects offer of two dozen properties THE 18 religious orders embroiled in the institutional abuse scandals have been forced by the State to hand over a further ?8.2m in cash... Man abused by former GAA official is awarded ?272,910Mary Carolan A man who suffered chronic post-traumatic stress disorder after he was sexually abused as a child by his national school teacher, a former Ulster Council secretary of the GAA, has been awarded ?272,910 damages by a High Court... BISHOPS' GUIDELINES ON ABUSE Madam - I heard the radio interview in which the Minister for Justice referred to the "appalling treatment of paedophilia and child sex abuse" in the book Canon Law: Letter and Spirit, published in 1995, and also mentioned in... Court awards abuse compensation09 November 2005 19:55 A High Court jury has awarded a 56-year-old Monaghan man over ?270,000 in damages, against a national school teacher who sexually abused him. The abuser, 73-year-old Michael Feeney from Ballybay, Co Monaghan, was also a senior... Abuse victim welcomes Dublin inquiry By John Breslin A VICTIM of clerical abuse centrally involved in pushing for a State investigation into Dublin archdiocese last night welcomed the publication of the inquiry?s terms of reference. Marie Collins, who was abused by a priest when... Church set for more abuse shameWednesday November 9th 2005 THE Catholic Church has had to face one outburst of public anger after another in recent years because of the clerical abuse scandals. In 2002 it faced two such outbursts. The first was caused by the... Senior church leaders to face new probeWednesday November 9th 2005 THE role of senior churchmen in dealing with allegations of child sex abuse in the Dublin diocese will come under scrutiny in a new investigation. A statutory inquiry into child sex abuse in the country's largest... Damages sought over sexual abuse by teacher Mary Carolan 09/11/2005 A Co Monaghan man who was sexually abused as a child by his national school teacher, a former Ulster Council secretary of the GAA, has brought a High Court action for damages. The action by the... Church handling of abuse cases to be examined Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent 09/11/2005 The Government has established an 18-month investigation into the Dublin archdiocese's handling of child abuse allegations. The investigation commission, to be headed by Circuit Court judge Yvonne Murphy, will also investigate whether every other... CHILD SEX ABUSE BY CLERGY Madam, - I served as a priest in the diocese of Cloyne from 1992-1999. I ministered in the parishes of Rockchapel & Meelin, and Ballynoe, Conna & Glengoura. When I was summoned by Bishop John Magee to his palace... Judge to head Dublin child abuse probe 08 November 2005 20:08 There is to be a full investigation into child sex abuse by Catholic clergy in the biggest diocese in the country, the Archdiocese of Dublin. Circuit Court Judge Yvonne Murphy is to head up a... 43 teachers have been suspendedTuesday November 8th 2005 SOME 43 teachers have been suspended or put on "administrative leave" in the past 10 years over abuse claims. The Department of Education revealed that 24 teachers have been put on administrative leave since 1995 in... Cabinet to give go ahead for sex abuse inquiryMark Hennessy, Political Correspondent 08/11/2005 The Cabinet will today clear the way for a State inquiry into child sex abuse allegations against priests in the Dublin Catholic archdiocese dating back over 30 years. However, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law... COVERING UP CHILD ABUSE Madam, - Dermot Harte (Nov 7th) affirms his viewpoint that Bishop Eamonn Walsh is "saintly", his justification being that Bishop Walsh "made no attempt to cover up the horrors of clerical abuse of youngsters, unlike so many of his... CANON LAW AND CHURCH'S ATTITUDE TO PAEDOPHILIA Madam, - I write in relation to the letter of November 3rd from Dr Michael Mullaney, who was a canon law adviser to the Ferns Inquiry, concerning my references on radio to the appalling treatment of paedophilia and child... Lawyers 'blacklisted by abuse groups' By Se?n McC?rthaigh GOVERNMENT-funded groups advising British-based survivors of institutional child abuse here have been accused of operating a blacklist of Irish solicitors. Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA) yesterday expressed concern that survivor outreach centres in Britain have... Teacher in sex abuse inquiry promoted to principalMonday November 7th 2005 EXCLUSIVE A TEACHER who was accused of sexually abusing children was subsequently promoted to the position of principal of a large national school, an Irish Independent investigation can reveal. The married man is now heading up... God's message diluted by abuseMonday November 7th 2005 Sir - I wish to compliment David Quinn on his article in the Irish Independent 2/11/05 - 'Clerical abuse: Where the blame lies'. In this very dark time in the life of the Church and the... Children in care07/11/2005 A disturbing picture of the extent of child abuse and neglect is revealed by statistics compiled by health authorities and released to our Social Affairs correspondent Carl O'Brien in recent days. They show that 4,984 children were admitted into... Church view of sexuality queried Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent 07/11/2005 A Catholic bishop has asked whether an unhealthy or distorted understanding of sexuality might have contributed to the church's clerical child sex abuse problems. Addressing the annual citizenship service at Dublin's Christ Church... Group wants tough action over false abuse claims Ali Bracken 07/11/2005 Deterrents against false allegations of child abuse are unworkable and the justice system is being exploited by a minority, according to the organisation Let Our Voices Emerge (Love). It provides support for people, including those from... REPORT ON FERNS ABUSE Madam, - I refer to the letter from your correspondent, Ian Kelleher (Nov 2nd) in reply to mine (Oct 29th). Let me make it abundantly clear to Mr Kelleher, I do not kow-tow to any person, be they clergy... All I want to know is: Why?? 06 November 2005 By Aidan G Doyle The Halloween bank-holiday weekend is the high point of Wexford Festival Opera. One of the unique experiences of the weekend is what is known locally as the Opera Mass. Bishop Eamonn Walsh,... Vile and incomprehensible acts 04 November 2005 I was appalled by the content of the Ferns Report, where 21 priests systematically abused young girls and boys, resulting in 100 cases over a 40-year period. Among the worst cases involved a priest who sexually... Many Christian Brothers pupils sing a sadder song05 November 2005 GERRY ANDERSON (Belfast Telegraph, October 29) must be one of the very few who attended The Brow of the Hill in the Forties and early Fifties who have "treasured memories" of the Christian Brothers. Talk to the... Abuse victims must speak up05 November 2005 I AM a victim of sex abuse under the Christian Brothers in Belfast. Does the Catholic Church not realise the pain, hurt, suffering and downgrading that we had went through at the hands of these evil people?... Challenging the myths about perpetrators of child sex abuse05/11/2005 As a therapist and psychologist assessing and providing therapeutic intervention programmes for adults who sexually abuse children, I have consistently encountered assumptions made about perpetrators which are at best inaccurate and at worst dangerous to children, writes Joe Sullivan... Advice on Ferns diocesan bill sought Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent 05/11/2005 Attorney General Rory Brady is to advise the Government on whether the State should pay legal costs incurred by Ferns diocese in its dealings with the Ferns inquiry. Figures issued by the Department... COVERAGE OF FERNS REPORT Madam, - It is understandable that the Ferns Report would be a big news item. However, the continuous coverage on RT? is quite appalling, particularly Liveline. The producer of this programme had obviously got in touch with a priest... "Reality of church role in schools"Madam, - I am interested in Mary Raftery's article, "Reality of church role in schools", (Nov 3rd) as a number of her observations and comments ring true "north of the Border" too. In Northern Ireland, in every social attitudes survey... Sligo priest under probe A county Sligo priest has stood aside at the weekend pending an investigation into alleged serious incidents in the 1960s. Sixteen complaints of child abuse have been lodged against nine priests in the Diocese of Elphin which has the... Ferns diocese silent on claim it sent ?100,000 legal bill Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent 04/11/2005 A spokesman for Ferns diocese declined yesterday to confirm or deny that it had submitted a bill for legal fees to the Ferns inquiry, which was unsworn and held in private. It has... CATHOLIC CHURCH'S ROLE IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT Madam, - In response to Mary Raftery's column "Church role in schools must end" (Oct 27th) I wish to make the following points: I share Mary Raftery's determination that abuse of children, whether in the school context or anywhere... Priests were put on a pedestal but now need to learn from critics By R?n?n Mullen BY a remarkable coincidence the readings provided by the Catholic Church throughout the world for last Sunday?s masses were an ideal scene-setter for priests intending to preach about the Ferns report. This is the case even... Cleric recalls his 'worst nightmare' of false child abuse claims Thursday November 3rd 2005 A PRIEST falsely accused of child abuse and moved out of ministry has told how the experience was his worst nightmare come true. The priest, who does not use his name, described how he was... Solicitors face grilling on overcharging claims by abuse victims Thursday November 3rd 2005 THE LAW Society is preparing to quiz solicitors from 60 law firms after receiving a total of 125 complaints of overcharging from abuse survivors. Some 46 solicitors have already been asked to appear before specially... Bishop delayed handing over files to probe despite doubtsThursday November 3rd 2005 BISHOP Eamonn Walsh knew of suspicions about a number of priests in Ferns in 2002. But their files were not handed over to an inquiry until it almost collapsed in September. Eight out of the 27... Apology is long overdue Sir - Like most people reading the Ferns report I had to reach for the sick bag. However, one beacon of light did shine through the darkness. I refer to Fr Gerard McGinnity, who when he was senior dean... Priest accused of child sex abuse is still serving Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent 03/11/2005 A parish priest accused of child sex abuse continues to remain in ministry in the archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. When contacted by The Irish Times about allegations against its priests last week,... CANON LAW AND THE FERNS CLERICAL ABUSE INQUIRY Madam, - As a canon law adviser to the Ferns Inquiry, I wish to categorically dispel some of the myths and correct the erroneous misinformation regarding the relationship between canon law and civil law with respect to paedophilia. Firstly,... 140 more priests are accused of sex abuse Scandal-hit Church faces more claims By Michael Lavery 01 November 2005 More than 140 priests in four dioceses have been accused of sex abuse but more revelations could be on the way as the scandal rocks the Catholic Church... Sligo priest under probe By Gerry McLaughlin A county Sligo priest has stood aside at the weekend pending an investigation into alleged serious incidents in the 1960s. Sixteen complaints of child abuse have been lodged against nine priests in the Diocese of Elphin... We're not 'serious' yet Wednesday November 2nd 2005 Sir - As one who grew up in Ireland in the 1950s and '60s, the abuses revealed in the Ferns Report seem to me an inevitable consequence of the absolute power enjoyed by members of... Head nun denies knowing of sex abuse in schoolPaul Cullen 02/11/2005 The religious order that ran St Joseph's industrial school in Kilkenny has denied any knowledge of sexual abuse in the school until a Garda investigation in the mid-1990s. Sr Una O'Neill, superior general of the Religious Sisters... Sex abuse inquiry expanded to include audit of all diocesesLiam Reid, Political Reporter The proposed statutory inquiry into the Dublin archdiocese is to be expanded to carry out an independent examination of every other diocese in the Republic, to establish whether there are current child protection concerns relating to... Schools inspector who knew about sex offences did not alert gardai to crimesWednesday November 2nd 2005 THE State inspector of industrial schools failed to tell gardai of a sex abuse case she knew of in 1954. This is the first time it has come out that Dr Anna McCabe, a Department of... Bishop gave job to priest who abused again Wednesday November 2nd 2005 A FORMER Bishop of Killaloe knowingly appointed an abusive priest to a Clare parish only for him to abuse children again. The current Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, yesterday revealed that his predecessor, Dr... Experts failed to stop priests reoffending, says bishopWednesday November 2nd 2005 PSYCHOLOGISTS employed by the Catholic Church to advise on child sex abuse failed to prevent priests from re-offending, a bishop has claimed. The claim is likely to inflame controversy as bishops are responsible for the priests... Evidence continues at abuse probe01 November 2005 17:03 The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has been told that there were two realities at St Josephs Industrial School in Kilkenny, one caring and nurturing, the other dark and hidden. Sr Una O'Neill, Superior General... Evidence continues at abuse probe01 November 2005 12:46 The Superior General of the Sisters of Charity has said a series of Department of Education reports into St Joseph's Industrial School in Kilkenny carried out in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s found it to be... Pervert priests 'were let take out children'Tuesday November 1st 2005 PAEDOPHILE priests were allowed take children from national schools and abuse them, victims have claimed. The startling new allegations about the priests' activities are set to be made at the promised Government inquiry into the handling... More details emerge of sexual abuse cases involving priests Martin Wall 01/11/2005 The Diocese of Ossory has paid ?370,000 in compensation to the victims of child sexual abuse, it was revealed last night. The diocese, which covers Co Kilkenny and parts of Co Laois and Co Offaly, said... Inquiry came close to collapse over absent files Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent The Ferns inquiry came close to collapse in September when it realised that documents concerning allegations of abuse against a total of 10 priests in Ferns diocesan personnel files had not been made available... REACTION TO FERNS REPORT Madam, - The Ferns Report's catalogue of abuse, denial, damage and shame is sickening. But the real centre of this story lies not in mismanagement, neglect and obfuscation, but in the church's attitude to sexuality. I have long believed... |