What did we learn from this week’s reports from six Catholic dioceses?
That when it came to dealing with allegations of clerical child sex abuse, their past practices were the same as those of the three other dioceses that have been the subject of published statutory reports to date: Ferns (2005), Dublin (2009) and Cloyne (2011).
And these were?
Cover-up, the moving around of accused priests, and the refusal to address the welfare of abused children at all in the early part of the period investigated, from January 1975.
How do these reports differ from previous ones?
Where the past is concerned, they don’t; when it comes to current child-protection practices, they do. In all of the six dioceses there has been an improvement.
Who comes out badly?
Raphoe comes out of this week’s reports with most black marks. It is where one of Ireland’s most notorious abuser priests had free rein from 1970 to 1982. Fr Eugene Greene, a Co Donegal native, worked in Nigeria, Scotland and elsewhere before serving in Raphoe from 1970. He abused 26 young people in the diocese. According to Martin Ridge, a garda who investigated the case, clergy in Raphoe knew about Fr Greene’s activities from the mid-1970s. Dr Seamus Hegarty, bishop of Raphoe from 1982 to 1994, has said he didn’t hear or know anything about them. In 2000, Fr Greene was sentenced to 12 years in prison on 41 sample charges out of more than 100. Thirteen other priests who served in Raphoe were also alleged to have abused children, three of whom were convicted. Fifty-two such allegations were made in the diocese altogether.
And elsewhere?
It surprised many that the next highest number of allegations was in the small diocese of Dromore, which includes most of Co Down. Thirty-five allegations were made against 10 priests, none of whom was convicted. The church authorities do not come well out of the report on Derry diocese, where 31 allegations were made against 23 priests, none of whom was convicted.
Does anyone come out well?
Yes. You could say that all the current bishops in Raphoe, Dromore, Kilmore, Ardagh and Clonmacnoise and Tuam come out well on current child-protection practices. Derry now has no bishop, as Seamus Hegarty resigned last week for health reasons. But he is praised in the Derry report for putting in place current child-protection practices there. The diocese that does best is Kilmore, mostly in Co Cavan, which is described as “a model of best practice”. This is attributed to the “personal commitment and diligence” of Bishop Leo O’Reilly. Seven allegations have been made against seven priests in Kilmore, one of whom was convicted. Other bishops singled out for praise are Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam and Bishop Colm O’Reilly of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. If slow in reporting some cases to police, Bishop John McAreavey of Dromore is praised for his personal engagement with people who have been abused, while Bishop Philip Boyce of Raphoe is commended for his willingness to learn from the dark past.
What happens next?
The six reports published on Wednesday are just the beginning. Audits are to be undertaken on the other 20 Catholic dioceses in Ireland and on the remaining 162 Catholic institutions on the island. This may sound as if it could take years, but in fact the work should not be too time-consuming. Many of the remaining dioceses are not large, and the 162 other Catholic institutions include many small religious congregations. With data-protection issues now out of the way, the next reports are expected in May or June next year.
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