Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who was recently snubbed as a speaker at the Vatican’s first major conference of bishops and heads of religious orders on clerical child abuse, said he feels angry at the ‘non-response’ of the church to children who had been abused or put at risk.
There are groups in the Vatican and the hierarchy, who try to undermine and refuse to understand what is being done in terms of child protection.
He called these groups ‘a cabal’ who refuse to recognise Vatican rules in the area.
Despite words, the Church had not learned the lessons, he said.
Archbishop Martin was impressed with the emotion of the Prime Minister’s speech and is very disappointed and angry with what is contained in the Cloyne report.
However he did observe and express disappointment that the Prime Minister had not apologised for the failings of State institutions that were also identified in the Cloyne report.
Former professor of Moral Theology at Maynooth, Fr Vincent Twomey repeated his call for Irish bishops who assumed office before May 2004, when Archbishop Diamund Martin became Archbishop of Dublin to resign.
“If the bishops have any love for the church would they please show it by making a sacrifice and stepping aside,” he said.
Sources
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