A scandal within a scandal
In a very moving interview, live on today's programme, Fr Paddy McCafferty recounted his experience of sexual assault at the hands of a priest -- and expressed his anger at the way he, as the victim and survivor, has been treated by Catholic Church authorities since breaking a 20-year silence about the abuse.
Fr Paddy alleges that the abuse took place while he was a seminarian. In 2003, he wrote to his bishop, Patrick Walsh of Down and Connor diocese, and told him that a priest still in pastoral ministry within his diocese abused him repeatedly. The bishop did not reply to his letter. Two months later, Fr Paddy wrote again; this time he copied a letter he had just sent to the alleged abuser. The bishop replied and requested a meeting. Fr Paddy was given the impression by a senior priest that the police were informed of the allegations. But he has not been contacted by the police in the three years since; indeed, he claims, he has been "blanked" and ignored by those in responsible positions within the church. The alleged abuser is still a priest under the authority of the diocese, but is currently not in active ministy. Fr Paddy wants the church to laicise the priest; he would also like to know if the police were informed about the allegations three years ago -- and, if not, why not?
Plainly, we invited Bishop Walsh to contribute to the programme; he declined. Instead, I was given a single-sentence statement to the effect that the bishop regards conversations between himself and his priests as confidential.
Reading between the lines of that statement (or between the words, since it's a single sentence statement), one might conclude that the bishop is unhappy that a priest has gone to the media with criticisms of the church's response to an accusation of abuse -- particularly since the priest was essentially throwing down a gauntlet. For his part, Fr Paddy regards the clerical mishandling of his case, and many others, as a "scandal within a scandal".
Comments
Father McCafferty is a very courageous man. I heard the interview today and had tears in my eyes. Disgraceful behaviour by the church. He is owed an apology, even though he didnt ask for one. He is also owed an explanation. In fact, as a Catholic, the bishop owes me, and all Catholics in down and connor diocese, an explanation. What a disgrace.
Excellent article.
The continued silent contempt in my regard by Patrick Walsh - his prideful and cruel refusal to engage with me - even since Sunday's interview - is indescribably painful and distressing.
He has left me in deep suffering for months now and, it would seem clear, that is going to be his continued policy.
I will leave him in God's hands, who will deal with this man accordingly, and wait for our new bishop to be appointed whom, I fervently pray, will be a real and true shepherd after the Lord's own heart (Jeremiah 3:15).
Fr Patrick McCafferty
This interview got me thinking about many things; mostly it made me recall an appalling incident involving our bishop when I was a student in St. Malachy鈥檚 college. This, for me, typifies the response Fr. Paddy has received.
I was outside the main college office eating my lunch. A young boy was sliding up and down the corridor, as young boys are wont to do. Walsh came out of his office and caught the boy who almost collided with him. When the young boy apologised and called him 鈥淔ather鈥 the response from our illustrious bishop was to utter the following amazing statement while hitting him on every word spoken鈥
鈥淵ou do not call me Father, you call me Canon鈥
The atmosphere in the corridor was unspeakable.
I have spoken to many past students from the 70鈥檚. No one has a good word to say about the then President of St. Malachy鈥檚 College.
It begs this question. If this is how a grown man and a priest (no matter what title he had) treated a defenseless young boy, are we surprised that the now Bishop would be indifferent to the plight of a man who suffered terrible abuse, both as a young boy by a sexual predator and as a young man by a clerical sexual predator who is now under the direct responsibility of Walsh?
Walsh may indeed be retiring, but it is incumbent on our Church to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and diligence, make the Bishop take responsibility, be accountable and face the consequences. Either he should be dismissed from his position as bishop of Down and Connor, or he should do the right thing and resign immediately from his position before the church is scandalized by further revelations that may emerge.
I鈥檓 not going to hold my breath, though.
Oh and yes, this is my real name. I am proud to make my opinions known using my real identity and if Walsh or his Press Officer wish to contact me, I am easily found and would relish the opportunity to tell them directly more of what I think.
According to 大象传媒 Five Live Up All Night, a group of Mexicans sued a Mexican Cardinal for sexual abuse. They used US Lawyers [who came to Mexico on tourist visas]. Mexican Authorities are now saying the lawyers violated their visa and that the lawsuit should have been filed in a Mexican Court [in order to respect Mexican Sovereignty].
It must be remembered that this Cardinal almost succeeded Pope John Paul II. Priests like politicians are humans and make mistakes.
If we must criticize priests and other religious leaders [so that they could find the errors of their mistakes and thus resign or make other amends], we must criticize the politicians. After all, [in the American Continent] we have three diabolical figures called Bush, Castro, and Chavez.
I am appalled, but not surprised, at the treatment meted out to Fr McCafferty by the hierarchy in the diocese of Down and Connor. I would have thought by this stage that church authorities had learned the lessons from trying to play down and ignore the plight of those individuals who had been abused by priests.So much for openness and honesty in such matters.
If this is how the diocese treats "one of its own" (in terms of belonging to a clerical elite), someone on the inside, so to speak, then what hope have ordinary lay people faced with similar predicaments.
What of Fr McCafferty's clerical colleagues? Why are they not demanding robust action over this issue or will they simply bury their heads in the collective sand. Of course they would probably prefer that this matter is dealt with in house.
Perhaps Fr McCafferty has been somewhat naive in expecting the powers that be in the diocese of Down and Connor to do more. Like most hierarchial institutions it will primarily be concerned with its own preservation and those who control it. Perhaps even at this late stage Fr McCafferty should make a formal complaint himself to the police and allow that process to take its course.
I admire his faith and trust in God but sometimes even that is not enough. Meantime I pray that he finds some peace of mind and that he is able to bring this issue to a just closure.
Fr.Paddy is unfortunatly yet another victim of a corrupt institution. The powers at be within this institution are not interested in the victims - look how they treat them ? Fr.Paddy deserves justice and the only place to get that is through the courts. I personally know of another priest who expereinced a very simular situation whilst at Maynooth. Thing is it was a gang rape as 3 were involved. To this day the victim has never sought justice because of the shame and because of his loyalty to to his faith. The church is rotten to the very core. Good luck Fr. Paddy. Yours, a free thinking and disillousined catholic.