Child Abuse
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Pope Benedict is likely to turn down the Catholic bishops’ invitation to visit Ireland, following an unprecedented breach of protocol by an Irish bishop in Rome.
Pope Benedict is likely to turn down the Catholic bishops’ invitation to visit Ireland, following an unprecedented breach of protocol by an Irish bishop in Rome. Ireland’s Catholic bishops have been in Rome for two weeks to report to Pope Benedict on the state of the Irish Catholic Church.
Following a private meeting last Thursday between the Pope and Bishop Denis Brennan, the newly-appointed Bishop of Ferns, the bishop issued a statement through his press office in Wexford about the Pope’s remarks.
Traditionally, bishops do not disclose the details of private conversations with the Pope.
Yesterday, the Pope again referred to ‘‘heart-rending cases of sexual abuse of minors’’, and said these were all the more tragic when the abuser was a cleric.
‘‘The wounds caused by such acts run deep, and it is an urgent task to rebuild confidence and trust where these have been damaged’’ and to ensure healing of those affected.
Referring to the statement issued by the diocese of Ferns, one senior Vatican source said that he had never heard of such a breach of protocol in more than 30 years in Rome.
‘‘This is just never, never done,” he said. ‘‘It has caused immense annoyance and was a very stupid thing to do. Pope Benedict may not have wished to refer to Ferns publicly in his speech to the bishops yesterday, or he may have wished to approach the matter in a different way.
‘‘The press release issued by the diocese of Ferns has painted the Pope into a corner and the Pope does not like to be painted into a corner. I think that, following that incident, it is very unlikely that the Pope will now accept any invitation from the bishops to visit Ireland.”
The former apostolic administrator of Ferns diocese, Bishop Eamonn Walsh, who met Pope Benedict last Thursday, also revealed details of his discussions with the Pope on the issue of clerical sex abuse. He said that, in his experience, the Vatican had been cooperative and helpful.