Sir, - In his column of April 24th, "Church must bear pain of restitution", Fintan O'Toole is rightly indignant about the abuse of children in religious-run institutions. Who could possibly condone it? Where I disagree with him is in his demand that the (Catholic) Church must pay compensation to the victims until it really hurts - financially, of course. If the Irish Catholic Church is held accountable for the actions of what must constitute a very small minority of its members, why stop there? Why not direct the charges to Rome?
Perhaps it is necessary to remind oneself of some history. When religious orders in Ireland began their work of teaching and caring for the deprived, they did so from their own meagre resources. Only at a later stage did the Government begin to contribute. And when the Irish Free State took charge, it took the much easier and cheaper option of allowing the religious orders to provide schools, hospitals and staff to run them. By and large, they have done wonderful work for two or three generations, caring for most of the citizens of this country. The new State found it difficult enough to build some new primary schools. More recently it has got around to providing some new second-level schools.
Surely Mr O'Toole must be aware that the salaries of the religious orders for their work in schools and hospitals went largely to providing much-needed facilities for these institutions. In most cases, they themselves led very Spartan lives.
If the religious orders are now to be penalised financially by this State, equity demands that they be compensated retrospectively for generations of self-denial and selfless hard work. Anything else would smack of vindictiveness. I am quite sure that Mr O'Toole would not condone that! - Yours, etc.,
Criostoir Gallagher, New Inn, Cashel, Co Tipperary.