Madam, - It is not acceptable that control of the education of our young children should be in such a perilous state of confusion. On the one hand, the State, in accordance with Bunreacht na hÉireann, regulates and finances - with the aid of local contributions - the schools, the inspectorate and the curriculum.
On the other hand, also in accordance with the Constitution and in recognition of the churches' contribution to the development of education in Ireland, the State has ceded to the churches the right to place ecclesiastical patrons in effective control of certain critical aspects of schools.
The Cloyne situation and the recent Supreme Court decision in the O'Keeffe case have shown the dangers to children that have resulted from such divided authority.
It appears that the State has no power to remove or suspend an episcopal patron. It also appears that the Irish Catholic Church is similarly powerless with regard to its own bishops. Clearly, little has changed since 1867 when Cardinal Cullen, alarmed by the vehemence of expression, rather than the general sentiment, in Bishop Moriarty's famous denunciation of the Fenians, remarked in a letter to Fr Kirby, the Irish Church's agent in Rome: "I wish he could be called to account for it."
It still seems today that only Rome has the power to call to account, in any effective way, an Irish bishop/patron. The appalling events in Cloyne show that this is completely unacceptable. A complex bureaucracy in a foreign state, burdened with the administration of a worldwide church, is ill-equipped to react with the urgency necessary for the proper protection of Irish children. It is imperative that the Catholic Hierarchy and the Government devise an agreement that will remedy this dangerous situation. - Yours, etc,
DENIS O'DONOGHUE,
Killarney,
Co Kerry.
Madam, - In response to the call made by this organisation, Voice of the Faithful, for the Bishop of Cloyne to resign, Siobhán Scully (December 23rd) asks who we are and whom we represent.
VOTF was founded in 2002 by Boston Catholics who were alarmed by the remarkably similar failure of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston to safeguard Catholic children there. Our goals are to support victims of clerical sexual abuse, to support priests of integrity who have stood by those victims (such as Fr Tom Doyle OP), and to work towards structures that would allow greater participation by lay people in the administration of their church.
Not knowing of any similar Catholic organisation in Ireland, and strongly supportive of these goals, a small network of concerned Irish Catholics has adopted the same platform and title. We do not claim to be more faithful than, or to speak for, anyone else. We simply aim to help realise the vision of the second Vatican Council for a truly participative church in which all Irish Catholics can raise their voices. We have just over a hundred members nationally, including survivors of clerical abuse in six Irish dioceses.
If Ms Scully sees no reason for our existence she should ask herself why the families of abused Irish Catholic children have so often been treated abominably by their bishops, with nowhere to turn for redress but to secular agencies. The reason is the absence of balancing structures of accountability within the Church itself that could have represented strongly the interests of lay people. We welcome the early signs of the emergence of such structures in Dublin, and hope to see them develop nationally. Our website www.votfi.com will explain further. - Yours, etc,
SEAN O'CONAILL,
Acting Co-ordinator,
VOTF Ireland,
Coleraine, Co Derry.
Madam, - Siobhán Scully asks how many members of the "faithful" Voice of the Faithful claims to represent. I would hazard a guess it may be as many as "Catholics for a Free Choice" with regard to abortion.
I assume that it is because the views of these minuscule groups match those of the liberal media that they are given publicity. Thousands attended the Rally for Life recently in Stormont but the media reported that there were only hundreds there. When a small group marches for abortion it receives maximum publicity. I live in the hope of seeing more balanced reporting in future. - Yours, etc,
(Mrs) MARY STEWART,
Donegal Town.