While they are no longer seen on the wards, the sisters have not gone away, writes John Crown
Sunday June 07 2009 Sunday Independent
In the aftermath of the institutional abuse revelations, there have been calls both for a re-visitation of the original deal between the Government and the religious congregations (so lenient in its treatment of the orders, that there are suspicions that both sides of the negotiation were in fact being conducted on their behalf), and for an appropriate memorialisation of the sufferers.
Our then-Taoiseach Mr Ahern stated in a radio interview with Karen Coleman that critics of the arrangement were “having a hop” at the congregations, and that his motive at the time was to spare sufferers the trauma of cross examination. He also asked, perhaps somewhat rhetorically, which of the Foxrock or Merrion parishes (two of the most affluent in the country) should be auctioned first, in the event of further financial redress being sought.
It can only be a matter of conjecture as to whether abuse survivors would feel more victimised by cross examination, or by their persecutors escaping justice. Similarly, parish assets would not be at risk from renegotiation. Religious orders are not part of the diocesan structure, and historically have lived in uneasy co-existence with the bishops. Merrion Parish Church (incidentally, already entrusted by the Archdiocese to the stewardship of Opus Dei — an organisation whose members have a shameful track record of abuse denial) would not be vulnerable to settlement claims.
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