Madam, - A report in your edition of November 11th, "Clerical abuse a problem in many nations" by Patsy McGarry, your Religious Affairs Correspondent, was accompanied by a world map showing countries where clerical child abuse has taken place. Nigeria was one of the countries and in the report Mr McGarry wrote:
"Pope John Paul told Nigerian bishops visiting him in Rome last April that 'behaviour which might give scandal must be carefully avoided, and you yourselves must diligently investigate accusations of any such behaviour, taking firms steps to correct it where it is found to exist'."
Now, I would like to know:
1. How did the Pope's advice show that there is clerical child abuse in Nigeria?
2. Can Mr McGarry produce any evidence of clerical child abuse in Nigeria as he did in the case of other countries in the article? If not, why did you include Nigeria among the countries where clerical child abuse has taken place as shown in your map?
3. Is this not a misinterpretation of the Pope's advice to Nigerian bishops?
I challenge Mr McGarry to produce evidence to substantiate his allegation. Otherwise let him apologise for including Nigeria among the countries in that map, or this will be taken as a calculated attempt to destroy the image of Nigeria as a nation and the Catholic Church and the clergy in Nigeria. - Yours, etc.,
Father NICHOLAS
NWACHUKWU,
Willow Park School,
Co Dublin.
Patsy McGarry writes: The comments by Pope John Paul to the Nigerian bishops, and quoted by Father Nwachukwu, were made on April 20th, this year, two days before he met the US cardinals and when clerical child sex abuse was dominating discussion at the Vatican. The Pope may also have been referring to reports received at the Vatican in recent years about the sexual abuse of nuns by priests in Nigeria and 22 other countries, mostly African. He asked the Nigerian bishops to provide adequate seminary formation in the virtue of chastity, and to remind their priests of the importance of celibacy.