Coming to the defence of Pope Benedict - and of the truth

Pope Benedict on Palm Sunday

New York Times published an article on 25 March under the headline Vatican Refused to Unfrock U.S. Priest Who Abused Boys. The story has been reported in the media around the world. The article suggests that Cardinal Ratzinger, as he then was, was negligent in dealing with such cases, particularly with that of Fr Lawrence Murphy in the NYT article.


There have been a number of vigorous responses to the NYT article.

One is the message of Archbishop Jerome Listecki, the new archbishop of Milwaukee, to which the late Father Murphy belonged, at the end of the Chrism Mass. Archbishop Listecki noted the following (editor's emphasis here and in the following item):

This past week our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has come under criticism for the way he has handled past cases of clergy sexual abuse of minors, including a case here involving Lawrence Murphy. The allegations against him, as well as the facts supporting him, are widely available.


The Holy Father does not need me to defend him or his decisions. I believe, and history will confirm that his actions in responding to this crisis, swiftly and decisively and his compassionate response to victims/surviovrs, speak for themselves. The Holy Father has been firm in his commitment to combat clergy sexual abuse; root it out of the Church; reach out to those who have been harmed; and hold perpetrators accountable. He has been a leader, meeting with victims/survivors and chastising bishops for their lack of judgment and leadership.

Mistakes were made in the Lawrence Murphy case. The mistakes were not made in Rome in the 1996, 1997 and 1998. The mistakes were made here, in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, in the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s, by the Church, by civil authorities, by Church officials, and by bishops. And for that, I beg your forgiveness in the name of the Church and in the name of this Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Fr Thomas Brundage JCL, (in photo) who was the presiding judge for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for the canonical trial of Fr Murphy writes in the Catholic Anchor, under the headline Setting the record straight in the case of abusive Milwaukee priest Father Lawrence Murphy:

As I have found that the reporting on this issue has been inaccurate and poor in terms of the facts, I am also writing from a sense of duty to the truth.

Thefact that I presided over this trial and have never once been contacted by any news organization for comment speaks for itself.


My intent in writing this column is to accomplish the following:


To tell the back-story of what actually happened in the Father Murphy case on the local level;


To outline the sloppy and inaccurate reporting on the Father Murphy case by the New York Times and other media outlets;

To assert that Pope Benedict XVI has done more than any other pope or bishop in history to rid the Catholic Church of the scourge of child sexual abuse and provide for those who have been injured;


To set the record straight with regards to the efforts made by the church to heal the wounds caused by clergy sexual misconduct. The Catholic Church is probably the safest place for children at this point in history.


Before proceeding, it is important to point out the scourge that child sexual abuse has been — not only for the church but for society as well. Few actions can distort a child’s life more than sexual abuse. It is a form of emotional and spiritual homicide and it starts a trajectory toward a skewed sense of sexuality. When committed by a person in authority, it creates a distrust of almost anyone, anywhere.


As a volunteer prison chaplain in Alaska, I have found a corollary between those who have been incarcerated for child sexual abuse and the priests who have committed such grievous actions. They tend to be very smart and manipulative. They tend to be well liked and charming. They tend to have one aim in life — to satisfy their hunger. Most are highly narcissistic and do not see the harm that they have caused. They view the children they have abused not as people but as objects. They rarely show remorse and moreover, sometimes portray themselves as the victims. They are, in short, dangerous people and should never be trusted again. Most will recommit their crimes if given a chance.


As for the numerous reports about the case of Father Murphy, the back-story has not been reported as of yet.

You can read the full article here.

Other relevant articles are those by John Allen in the National Catholic Reporter, Keeping the Record Straight on Benedict and the Crisis, and one by Canadian priest and columnist, Fr Raymond de Souza, A Response to the New York Times.

Please pray for all who have been absued as children by priests; pray for the repentance of those who have abused; pray for Pope Benedict that he may have strength to always do what is right and that he may not be maligned for the neglicence and sins of others.

Child protection: the current reality in the Catholic Church in Ireland

Christ Blessing the Children, Nicolaes Maes, 1652-53

The Irish Times today carries the letter below, written by Ian Elliott, which shows clearly what the authorities in the Catholic Church in Ireland are actually doing to prevent any possibility of children being abused by persons working for the Church. Mr Elliott himself is not a Catholic but a Presbyterian. I have highlighted that part of the letter that informs us that any allegations are first referred to the civil authorities.

There is much valid criticism of the failure of Church authorities before to observe either civil law or canon law. No such criticism can be made about what Church authorities are doing now.

Madam, – I refer to the letter . . . (March 22nd), about systems put in place in Nova Scotia, Canada. I note [the writer's] demand for similar practices here, and would like to draw your readers’ attention to the measures that have been put in place and are expected of all parts of the Catholic Church in Ireland to safeguard children in our care.

Safeguarding Children – Standards and Guidance document for the Catholic Church in Ireland, January, 2009, sets out the expected standards of policy, practice and practice necessary to ensure that we create safe environments for children (www.safeguarding.ie).

All parts of the church have agreed to put in place the following: 1. A written child protection policy statement. 2. Procedures for responding to allegations of abuse. Note that it is church policy that all allegations are referred to the statutory authorities for their investigation before any church inquiry takes place. 3. Procedures for preventing harm to children, including proper recruitment, selection, vetting and supervision of staff and volunteers; codes of behaviour; parental consent and health and safety. 4. Training on safeguarding children. 5. Information for children, parents and adults on safeguarding children, and the church’s procedures. 6. Support for victims of abuse; advice and support for those who hold key roles in safeguarding children; and support and management of those who present a risk to children. 7. An annual audit of policy and practice. To ensure compliance with these standards the national office will also conduct audits starting with each diocese during 2010.

I believe Safeguarding Children has become a priority for the Catholic Church in Ireland; and I hope than in implementing these standards, children’s safety and well-being will become the paramount consideration of all those who hold positions of authority. – Yours, etc,

IAN ELLIOTT,

Chief Executive,
National Board for Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church,
St Patrick’s College,
Maynooth, Co Kildare.

Some thoughts on the Catholic Church in Ireland today

Holy Family Church, Aughrim St, Dublin, the parish in which I grew up

It must be very hard for priests in Ireland. I see elderly nuns strolling the streets and it’s clear they have to take the rap. Fr Benedict Groeschel has travelled all over Europe and the only place he was ever verbally abused for his habit was in Ireland. There was a call to the Joe Duffy show a few years ago by an Anglican minister at St Patrick’s or Christchurch (the two Anglican cathedrals in Dublin) complaining that people often mistook him for a priest and that he constantly suffered verbal slurs from Dublin's 'concerned citizens'. 'Irish Catholic' used to be worn as a badge of pride, now it's seen as something to be ashamed of. The Church was slipping before the scandals, but the Revisionist historical movement and the revelations of Bishop Casey had the effect of tarnishing a once venerated institution, and making Catholics feel 'guilty' for all their past.

Given that you do not live in Ireland, and come home intermittently, you'd be better positioned to observe the decline in Irish Catholicism than I am. I'm curious so, if I may ask you, how different do you find modern Ireland from the Ireland of your childhood? Do you like the New Ireland? How is it substantially different? How is it observedly more secular and are you hopeful that the faith will be revitalized in Ireland? If so, how can church leaders advance it? Do you discern a lack of morale among your fellow clergy? Thanks.
18 February 2010 22:05

St Brigid's Church, Blanchardstown, County Dublin, the parish I go home to now. Photo taken in early 1900s.

The above is Shane’s comment on my previous post.

I was born in Dublin in 1943 and entered the Columban seminary in 1961. Among the things I remember from my childhood and which I’m happy are not there anymore is the widespread poverty in Dublin. I didn’t have to be told that not having shoes was extreme poverty. I discovered when I entered the seminary that for my rural classmates it was a form of freedom for children to run barefoot on farms during the summer. I also remember seeing a family of travellers (‘tinkers’, as we called them) living in a small tent near Dublin Airport. I was only seven about then but the memory is still vivid.

Among the things I miss are the packed churches, not only on Sundays, but especially on the weekdays of Lent. The simple fact is that there was far more participation in the Mass in Ireland then than there is now as almost every Catholic went to Mass then, for whatever reason. And I recall the ‘communal cough’ after the Elevation as a far more powerful expression of faith than the perfunctory ‘Christ has died . . .’ that we get now and that seems to be the only acclamation that most people know.

When I celebrate Sunday Mass now in Ireland there are very few young people, including children. But I remember an incident in 2007 in the parish where my brother lives that made me smile. A young Filipino family arrived a little late – not unusual – but they made their way up to the front of the church – rather unusual – and the father was the one carrying their young child. I have a hope that such families will bring new life to the Church in Ireland, though I have a fear that their children will be caught up in the secularism that is so prevalent now.

Today’s Irish papers comment on a report on marriage in the Republic of Ireland between 1986 and 2006. When I was young marriage was a given. I had no idea if all the couples I knew were happily married or not but marriage, between man and woman, was the norm. I knew of the existence of a registry office in Dublin but I never met a couple who had been married there. I find the current situation hard to accept where the word ‘spouse’ seems to be almost a ‘four-letter’ word while the word ‘partner’, in my opinion, has become debased. In some urban parts of the Irish Republic more than half of children are born out of wedlock. The Ryan Report highlights some of the awful consequences of the other extreme that prevailed in Ireland before where many a young unmarried woman and their children were ostracized.

When I went home for a holiday in 2007 I decided to wear my clericals most of the time, something I hadn’t done for years, except when going to the church to celebrate Mass. But everyone at home knew who and what I was. One of the reasons I had stopped wearing my clericals was that I was a target for beggars. This was so even when I was still in the seminary and we wore a black suit and black tie. But I had been recognized a number of times by total strangers as a priest, once travelling on a train from London to Glasgow wearing jeans and a red sweater and on another occasion when I called to the house of someone in Ireland who had never met me and I was wearing a collar and tie.

Among the reasons I decided to wear my clericals was the example of the late Fr Niall O’Brien, whose job as editor of Misyon I took over in 2002 when he was quite ill. He made the decision to wear his clericals at home as a sign of solidarity with priests at home who felt embattled because of the sins of some. Another factor was the increase of Muslims in Ireland, recognizable by their dress. If they could show who they were by the way they dressed why couldn’t I?

Unlike Father Benedict Groeschel, whom I met once, around 1970, while studying near New York City after my ordination, I experienced no hostility but the opposite. A woman, much younger than I am, offered me her seat on a crowded Dublin bus. I declined her offer but we got into a conversation in which I discovered that she was technically homeless and with two pre-adolescent sons. She asked me to remember her recently deceased husband in my Mass the following Sunday and asked me what happens when we die.

I went to a pub with the funeral party after a burial and a man of about 40, who wasn’t part of the party, came over to me, put €10 into my hands and thanked me for wearing my clericals!

On another occasion after a Sunday Mass in which I gave the basics on the Eucharist during my homily, a middle-aged man came to me afterwards and thanked me for doing so as he hadn’t, he said, heard such a homily in a long time. I have experienced something like that from time to time over the years in different countries.

The old-fashioned missioners, who came to our parishes every Lent for a week’s retreat for the women, followed by a week for the men, had a number of jokes that they used to encourage people to go to confession. These were often very effective and helped individuals overcome their fears. The joke was a prelude to a sermon of substance. But I shake my head when I hear a priest using his Sunday homily as an occasion to tell a poor joke badly and forget about the word of God. This is not only an Irish problem.

At times when I go home I feel depressed at what I see as a real loss of faith. Many have formally rejected not only the Catholic Church but Christianity itself. There is a kind of ‘illiteracy’ among so many, though this isn’t new. I remember telling a friend in Dublin who went to Mass every day – she was a woman in her 60s and this was 1962 – that a friend had given me a gift of the New Testament (it was the Knox translation). Her response: ‘What’s the New Testament?’ But today I hear even priests talking about receiving the ‘wine’ at Holy Communion. Fr Brian Darcy CP, who is often criticized as being too critical of the Church, to my delight a couple of years ago, in an interview either on radio or in a newspaper, underlined the fact that we are talking about the Blood of Christ, not ‘wine’.

I attended a Mass in the west of Ireland one Sunday a few years ago. The priest devoted his ‘homily’ to denouncing the bigotry of Ian Paisley, which was of no relevance to the readings of the particular Sunday Mass or to the lives of the people where he was. What came across was the priest’s own narrow mindedness. I was tempted to walk out but didn’t.

Recently I was in contact with Youth 2000 Ireland. I got a reply from one email that boosted me: There is immense hope for the Catholic Church in Ireland, we just don’t hear about it. Young people are thirsting for love and hungry for the truth. The main feedback we get from young people who attend our retreats is ‘I never knew God loved me’ or ‘I’ve realised this weekend that God loves me and I am worthy of His love’.

Another area of hope for me is that the media in Ireland recognise ‘the real thing’ when they see it. The coverage of the kidnapping and homecoming of my Columban colleague, Fr Michael Sinnott is an example of this. Father Sinnott is an exemplary priest. His kidnapping simply brought him to the attention of people. When he visited the Irish parliament after his release Father Sinnott was recognised by a group of girls from a secondary school who were also visiting. They all took out their mobile phones and had their photos taken with him. A few days later he received a box with a Christmas card from each girl in the class. They, clearly, recognised ‘the real thing’.

Another area of hope is the coverage of funerals after tragedies such as road accidents involving young people: the press very often quotes from the homily of the priest. He is still seen to be part of the lives of people in times of pain. That is where we find Jesus most of the time in the gospel.

On the other hand the recent funerals of two former Irish politicians, Tomás Mac Giolla and Justin Keating, were secular ceremonies while last October a memorial service, as distinct from a funeral Mass, was held in a Catholic church for a young officer of the Irish Air Corps who died in a plane crash. He was mourned, not by his wife but by ‘his partner of nine years’. Up to a few years ago the term ‘partner’ was never used in the context of a live-in relationship, which were not the common reality that they are today, and secular funerals were quite exceptional.

A few months ago a well-known sportsman ‘came out’, as they say, in his autobiography. I heard his mother being interviewed on radio. She was asked ‘What if he brings home a boyfriend?’ I couldn’t but feel sorry for her to some degree as she seemed to ‘surrender’ and imply that if that’s what will happen what can she do? I think that some parents of my own parents’ generation were already giving in to their sons or daughters bringing someone home rather than using parental authority, and it seems to be much more widespread now, though I can’t prove that.

The sportsman also indicated, as I recall reading about his book, that he had experienced ‘one night stands’. I find the widespread acceptance of casual sex wrong. It is irresponsible and it is not being discouraged. Graduates of a ‘Catholic’ school in Cork last year put a condom at each place on the table at a post-Leaving Certificate dinner organised by the students.

I think that being a priest in Ireland today is much more difficult than being a priest in the Philippines. I was at a fundraising concert for a home for retired priests in the Diocese of Bacolod, where I live, a few days after the Murphy Report came out. The concert was given by the bishop and priests of the diocese. The hall was packed and there was a rapport between the people and the priest, a kind of rapport that I never really experienced in Ireland. But I felt a heaviness, a sadness, asking myself if what had happened in Ireland, where the Church used to be so powerful, would happen here.

The Catholic Church in Ireland has lost its moral authority. There’s no question about that. But individual Catholics, lay and clerical, who live their faith with conviction carry the kind of personal moral authority that people found so striking in Jesus. And there are a number of articulate, unapologetic post-Vatican II Catholics in Ireland who give me hope, such as Breda O’Brien of The Irish Times, journalist David Quinn, founder of the Iona Institute, and Senator Rónán Mullen.

Pray for the Church in Ireland

Today's Irish newspapers carry much critical comment on the one-and-a-half day meeting of the bishops of Ireland with Pope Benedict and senior Vatican officials. I found it rather bizarre reading before the meeting that it would end at noon on Tuesday because some of the bishops had to get back to their dioceses for Ash Wednesday. Today some were wondering why Archbishop Diarmuid Martin left as soon as the meeting ended.

Some of the bishops indicated that Pope Benedict would meet with some victims of abuse from clerics and religious but this seemed to be more an expression of hope than a statement of fact. I think it it essential for the Pope to meet with a representative group of victims and to listen to their stories. He could visit Ireland for that reason alone. If something like this doesn't happen there'll be a continuing running sore, sapping not only the faith of those who have been abused - some of them have given up on the Church - but of those who are struggling to come to terms with everything that has emerged. One comment on a Christmas card from a fervent Catholic woman in Dublin who is just a little older than myself summed this up for me: 'It's awful'.

Part of the Vatican press release disturbed some people: The Holy Father also pointed to the more general crisis of faith affecting the Church and he linked that to the lack of respect for the human person and how the weakening of faith has been a significant contributing factor in the phenomenon of the sexual abuse of minors.

As one who goes home to Ireland every few years I can see clearly the serious decline not only in church-going but a growing explicit rejection of the Christian faith by many. Some of the priests mentioned in the Dublin Report were ordained as recently as the 1990s and were engaged in the abuse of minors while on pastoral work as seminarians. I ask myself if they had any faith and if their ordination was valid. How could they get through at a time when there was widespread awareness of the reality of the abuse of children by Catholic priests?

Coincidentally, yesterday's Irish papers carried a horrific story of a father found guilty of raping his son over a period of years. The son, in turn, raped his sisters. Maybe this will help the people of Ireland to reflect more on the reality of 96 percent of the abuse of children having nothing to do with clerics or religious but taking place throughout Irish society.

The February issue of Intercom, a publication of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, has an article by Ian Elliott, the Presbyterian appointed by the Irish bishops as CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in which he factually points out what is actually happening. The Catholic Church in Ireland has been and is acting to safeguard children according to the best advice available at this time and in full compliance with the laws of the Irish Republis and of Northern Ireland. I think it would be impossible now for any cover-up to take place.

Please pray for the Irish Church.

I'll be away for the next few days at the national board meeting of Worldwide Marriage Encounter in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, and won't be blogging.