Madam, - It is frankly outrageous that the publication of the report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children into clerical sex abuse allegations in the Diocese of Cloyne was not accompanied by the immediate and contrite resignation of the Bishop of Cloyne, Most Rev John Magee. While he points out that the allegations are unproven, the process of investigation into them under his direction was diabolical in its shortcomings and evasion.
How could Bishop Magee countenance anything other than his immediate resignation against this background? His credibility and that of the Hierarchy are compromised once again in this long, weary, tragic and multifaceted episode of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church and the bishops' response to to it.
Despite all the apologies, the initiatives and million of euro spent in compensation Dr Magee has demonstrated once again that the bishops' "learning curve" is still parked as it was a quarter-century ago. - Yours, etc,
MYLES DUFFY,
Bellevue Avenue,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - The latest revelations from the diocese of Cloyne, concerning profound failures and fatal flaws in protecting the young from clerical sexual predations, raises the red flag on this issue for every diocese in the 32 counties.
John Magee, the current bishop of Coyne, is exposed as negligent, incompetent, irresponsible, ignorant and inadequate when it comes to a most basic Gospel value: the safeguarding of young members of the Body of Christ from rape and sexual assault by wolves in the guise of "shepherds".
This nightmare scenario has been repeated all over the island of Ireland. Clerical rapists were allowed access to the most vulnerable children by so-called bishops who, in reality, are the "hired hands" Our Lord warned us about in the Gospel (John 10:12-13).
Any bishop, in any part of Ireland, who has failed to protect children and young people from sexual perverts among the clergy has blasphemed against and desecrated, in a most obscene fashion, the likeness of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. They have participated in the disastrous spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological harming of Christ's "little ones".
They have aborted their apostolic calling and gravely harmed the mission, credibility and good of the Church. They are no longer worthy of the title "bishop", for these men are every bit as guilty as the clerical rapists and molesters they protected, facilitated and made excuses for - if not more so. Blinded by narcissism and selfishness, they are the very antithesis of the Gospel.
They offer meaningless, vacuous words of "apology" - from the teeth outwards - rather than true conversion of heart of heart and sincere repentance. However, it is not enough for the likes of John Magee to apologise to the victims of clerical sexual abuse. Apologies do not alleviate the relentless anguish of victims of clerical sexual abuse. He and his ilk should not only apologise but also have the decency to resign and take themselves off in disgrace. - Yours, etc,
Fr PATRICK McCAFFERTY,
Lower Rathmines Road,
Dublin 6.
Madam, - Many years ago I was a parishioner in the diocese of Cloyne.
Those were the days of old-style Catholicism when we were frequently told from the pulpit that it was a sin and scandal for us to attend the funerals or weddings of our Protestant neighbours. Luckily, many of us felt that God did not make such distinctions, so we went anyway.
How much more a scandal it now Dr John Magee remains as bishop. That his superiors do nothing about it only adds to the despair which many of us feel now that the Catholic Church, which we had been proud to proclaim, has fallen so far in moral leadership. - Yours, etc,
KEITH MacCARTHY-
MORROGH,
Marlborough Road,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - I see that a group calling itself Voice of the Faithful is calling on the Bishop of Cloyne to resign ( The Irish Times, December 22nd). And, indeed, given the appalling findings of the report on the handling of child abuse in Clyone, Dr Magee should indeed resign.
What I can't understand, though, is who are these "faithful". Your reports informs us that Voice of the Faithful claims to represent "the people in the pews". I have spent many years in the pews and have, more or less, been faithful. In all those years, I have never been asked whether I needed or wanted a group to represent me.
Apart from the fact that the term "faithful" is so exclusive, giving the impression that those not in agreement with the particular agenda of this group are out of kilter with their faith, I wonder like to know how many members of the "faithful" this group represents. - Yours, etc,
SIOBHAN SCULLY,
Rialto, Dublin 8.