The priest who was briefly placed in charge of the Diocese of Ferns following Bishop Brendan Comiskey's resignation, reached out to parishoners yesterday in a letter read out at all Masses.
Mgr Lory Kehoe acknowledged that the past few weeks had been a "most difficult and traumatic" time for the Diocese. "And we, the priests wish to work with you in coming to terms with all that has occurred and to build a future thatwill be better, safer and more transparent", he said.
"Hearing and seeing the victims of clerical abuse within the diocese telling their stories has been a difficult experience for you and us. The anger of so many people, expressed in the media and elsewhere, is entirely understandable."
"As priests, we are shamed and pained by these revelations and we wholeheartedly apologise to and ask forgiveness of all victims and all offended by these events. We will do our best to listen, to help, to act and to heal. Whatever is possible will be done."
Mgr Kehoe, who had been looking after day-to-day church affairs in Ferns prior to the appointment at the weekend of the auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Dr Eamonn Walsh, as apostolic administrator of the diocese, said it was important to bring about the reconciliation and healing Dr Comiskey spoke about in his resignation statement.
"We must now grasp his courageous decision as an opportunity to endeavour to reach out to victims and their families; to rebuild the relationships between priests and people that have been damaged and most importantly to create a better and safer environment for the young people of our diocese." Referring to the Church guidelines on child sexual abuse introduced in 1996, he said these guidelines had been and would continue to be fully enforced and any person making a complaint against a priest would be advised that it would be passed on to the Health Board and to the gardaí for investigation.
"We ask victims to report all such crimes to the gardaí for investigation," he said, and added that in the case of allegations against clergy, people should also contact the Diocesan Delegate for Child Sexual Abuse by telephoning the diocesan office on 053-22177.
Mgr Kehoe said the sexual abuse of a child was an abhorrent crime, creating pain and suffering for all concerned. "We must find ways of ensuring that our children report such crimes and that we respond appropriately. Again, for failure to make such a response in the past we ask forgiveneness." There was a smaller attendance than usual at noon mass in Rowe Street Church yesterday as the letter was read out by Fr Dermot Gahan, one of the youngest priests in the Diocese.
One elderly woman who has been attending the same mass in Bride Street for over 50 years, said she believed people had stayed away because of the recent controversy.