Refusal to accept two bishops’ resignations is ‘final nail in the coffin’ of hope for real change
John Downes, News Investigations Correspondent
Well-known clerical abuse survivor Marie Collins, who has doggedly remained a Catholic in the hope that the church will reform, is considering quitting the church following Pope Benedict’s decision not to accept the resignations of two Dublin auxiliary archbishops.
Describing last week’s revelation as the “final nail in the coffin” of her hope that the church would change, Collins said she has “really gone beyond the point I was at before”.
“When I was clinging on to my Catholic faith with my fingertips in the past, I still had hope. And Diarmuid Martin was a symbol of that. I would definitely see this as the end of any hope that things are going to change,” she said. “So I’m at the point definitely of thinking this is not the church for me. I’m not just saying that for effect. I just can’t see any glimmer of hope, any reason to stay. I’m totally shattered at this point.
“I have always said my Christianity is not in doubt. I am not disillusioned with my faith in God or Christ. But I am just at the point where I’m considering that I don’t need to call myself a Catholic anymore, in a church where clerical power holds sway. My hope of reform coming from within the clerical church is gone.”
In an interview with the Sunday Tribune, Collins – who was abused as a child by a priest identified in the Murphy report – said the Pope’s decision not to accept the resignations of Bishops Raymond Field and Eamonn Walsh meant the “ground has been taken out” from under Dublin Archbishop Martin.
Dr Martin, who is in Italy on annual leave, has refused to comment on the Pope’s decision, which he communicated in a letter to priests in his diocese last week.
“I think the worst aspect of the whole thing is that Diarmuid Martin’s authority has been undermined,” Collins said. “I think he acted correctly in encouraging the resignations of the two auxiliaries not for what they did, but what they did not do.”
Along with her fellow abuse survivor Andrew Madden, Collins is due be presented with an “outstanding merit” award at the prestigious Humbert Summer School in Castlebar, Co Mayo, this week.
“We had the letter from the Pope in March, and we were disappointed with that. It had a lot of fine words, but the actions are not living up to those words. And yet you still hang on there, hoping it’s going to change. And we had the bishops offer their resignations,” she said.
“It would appear that these two others were not sincere, and still believe they did nothing wrong. But if those two had stood up, children would have been stopped from being abused. The fact that the Pope doesn’t see that is the final straw for me.”
There has been some speculation that the decision to assign both auxiliary bishops “revised responsibilities” was taken by Martin, and was not specifically requested by the Vatican. However, neither the Papal nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza nor Martin would comment when contacted.
August 15, 2010
all the lawyers and group leaders pay tax so the government have allready gotten back a lit of money one way or another. in fact the whole thing is charity buisness .and its making some people very well off . but the survivers are kept quiet. otherwise there would not be a better way of making money money money for whom. not the homeless ones there should not be homeless survivers living at the red cross .ten years of housing education and health is not the same as a two roomed flat promises in public have no affect on our lives
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Thank you Robert, for your kind words .
I have long held the view that these so called group leaders,while even just one survivor makes contact with them they will continue to use our dependance on them ,to keep control of us. I say disband them. take control of of our own destiny and speak with one very loud voice, so we will be heard.
and not one survivor or those gone before us, NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN.
jack may your family have all the peace they need and all the healing you need your love for them has made their lives worthwhile as i am more than sure they were very proud of a man who stands up for the truth to be heard just as we who now know to do so well on behalf of all survivors.
very kind regards and sheer respect for a wonderful family.
yours sincerely robert, and i am more than sure all those good people on here feel the same.
remember jack this group of people on here are the naturally formed group of witnesses who got together in the most honest way for the truth and support needed for one another. and all children of the future to be kept safe once and for all. and i am so sure your family are so proud of you. thank you jack for all your support from robert
Many thank to all those who say what must be said on survivors behalf. Today I buried
one more of my survivor family , there were five now two are left to remember with those of us who suffered in those institutional hell holes , Never to be forgotten . thank you Robert for you very recent E Mail
seanie thank you its good to know
jack thank you also i have no intentions of joining any group i just strongly believe that survivors/witnesses of the industrial schools have been treated unfairly.
my questions are how long is it going to take for proper justice for survivors.
i trust no one especially these so called groups.
i am just insisting that the government and religious do what is right and return the moneys to the rightful people the survivors/witnesses of industrial schools/magdelane laundries.
no group has of yet insisted the same i want to know why. i know for sure we have no such thing as groups they can stand up for themselves but i am still going to voice my opinion that the LEAST this government can do is return that money they claim to be their 50% of their part. this is an insult, salt on the wounds, and totally unjustified behavior. besides they know they are wrong and so will the good people of ireland.
i am sure every tax payer if they had suffered these prison schools they would expect this government to do the right thing and return this 500 million plus euro.
nothing matches with what the government first said to their own latest actions.
WHAT HAVE THIS GOVERNMENT DONE SO FAR REGARDING THEIR OWN ADMITTANCE ON TV TO THE IRISH PEOPLE?
they knew they would get the money from the religious but this was their cunning plan
TO GET SOME MONEY BACK FOR THEMSELVES USING THE TAX PAYER’S NAME IN VAIN. AND BILL THE SURVIVORS FROM THE REST BECAUSE THEY MADE SURE WE HAD NO VOICE AT ALL JUST AS BACK IN THOSE DARK DAYS.
100% CRIME=100% TIME.
Rose, Robert, DMW, and all the others who log onto Paddy’s site, and there are many, some who just look and read our opinions and do not contribute to the cause. I am privilaged as a fully licenced PI here in Canada to look under carpets, where most dirt accumalates, and submit this small iota of information regarding a group whom I had never heard of in Cork. “Right of Place” a phone call was made to a certain gentleman in England, he was summoned at short notice to fly to Cork to be one of the electors of a new committee there. He flew out on Aer Lingus on July 29th 2010, was put up in the Gresham Hotel in Cork. On July 31st 2010 he flew back to England. Cost; approximately 500 pounds. That was for one individual for that election in Cork. The name of the individual may be available from “Right of Place” ?. I have signed my name to “Shame of Ireland” to protest the Statutory Fund, would all you people who served time in the institutions and are browsing on Paddy’s site please go there and either add or don’t add your signatures. Robert Northall would be thrilled to see your names there.
Best of luck on the 27th.
Seanie.
Thank you Paddy for this web page without it many would not know what is happening. Many thanks
ROBERT. PLEASE take note of what Rose is saying DIG DEEPER than the surface of these members of the new board at R.O.P Cork
rose thanks for that warning i will be taking it all into mind i have demanded certain things like i have written many times on here.
we all need answers and need them now.
regards robert.
i will only stand for what is right nothing else matters.
robert i think what you say and belive all you write .once again thanks for your time in keeping the truth out there ,not discounting all the other posters taking there time out to do the same thanks
Is that ‘Right Of Place ‘ Cork. Robert? Can’t wait to hear what they tell you. I have been to their meetings in Cork. put my name and address down and to this day have never received a single bit of correspondence from them. In fact they tell me I’m not on their list. They have also told me they sent my sister stuff through the post then a couple weeks later they say she isn’t on their list either. My sister even got up and spoke at their meeting. Have they updated their site yet, where are the accounts from 2007, 2008, 2009. are they on the site yet.? I have given them my phone number over the phone and also gave it to another person who gave it to them. but still they say they don’t have it.Is their data base still messed up? How were they elected? was it an open vote for all members or was it a case of 5/6 people sitting at the front of the hall who were to be voted for? I say disband them all. We can manage our own affairs.
the right of place has a new board of directors i am expecting a visit in the coming fortnight with some of their board please write here what you would like to say, and i will air those views to them.
i do believe they are voluntary workers on behalf of the survivors as this is what i am being told i do however intend to find out if this is true.
they are all new and nothing to do with the past group they claim to be listening to the needs of survivors i have already asked them all the questions i have ever written here and asked them what are their intentions.
no group can do anything for us unless they get back what is rightfully ours that being the 50% the government took away for their OWN decisions regarding the whole cost of the whole issue regarding industrial school abuse of children and the magdelane laundries.
we had no say in the costs whatsoever so how can this government dictate costs at the tax payers expense.
i am only fully aware that the survivors payed more than the whole sum in taxes themselves throughout their lives to this government.
the decoy taken by this government through group leaders have yet again miss led the public the decent people of ireland the media must have known the solicitors must have known they are selected by the government.
the proof is
WHY WERE THEY NOT INVITED TO THE MEMBERS MEETINGS BY THE GROUPS IN THE PAST?
BECAUSE THEY WERE LATER TO BE INFORMED ON THE DECISIONS MADE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT RELIGIOUS AND GROUPS ALIKE. (NOT THE SURVIVORS THEMSELVES)
THE PRESS WAS KEPT AWAY FROM SURVIVORS FOR FEAR OF WHAT THEY MAY SAY.
THE WORD REDRESS WAS USED AS A FORM OF SOCIAL CONTROL.
AS PADDY DOYLE VERY WELL PUT IT HIMSELF (((SILENCED)))
YET THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY ITSELF BUT THE ON GOING TREATMENT OF A GOVERNMENT AND CHURCH THAT HAS LET THE IRISH PEOPLE DOWN.
mary tell the press to print the fraud committed by the government who will not return the money they took from the survivors.
they have now set the way for all criminals to pay only 50% of their 100% wrong doings.
after all this is the way they see it themselves by claiming back 500+ million euro. you should only pay 50% for the 100% crime committed in this country.
what percentage is this of the church’s contribution should the church pay another 500+million euro?
after all we are talking of the abuse and total destruction of childhoods that have affected those now grown-up.
WAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE OR NOT?
WAS THE CHURCH RESPONSIBLE OR NOT?