Catholic priests in Ireland were treated like imbeciles during a Vatican probe into the clerical child abuse crisis that rocked the country, it has been claimed.
Father Sean McDonagh criticised the investigation and maintained processes used by Rome when examining complaints about clergy were appalling.
The Columban Father, a founding member of the liberal Association of Catholic Priests (ACP), described the publishing of a seven-page summary of a report from the unprecedented Vatican probe – known as an apostolic visitation – as incompetent.
Fr McDonagh revealed he asked one cardinal’s aide if she would attend meetings with no agenda, where you were not sure what would happen to what was being said, and where there was no promise a report would be published. Continue reading