The Rosminian order has admitted that its response to revelations of
physical and sexual abuse of boys by four priests in the 1960s was
“inadequate”.
Fr David Myers, leader of the Rosminian order in
Britain, which is facing a multi-million-pound lawsuit, said today: “I
apologise without reservation on behalf of the Rosminian brethren in the
UK to all those who have suffered. Such abuse was a grievous breach of
trust to them and to their families. We are appalled by what was done to
them.
“I and all my brethren are deeply shocked at what has
happened and acknowledge our inadequate response. We are committed to
the pastoral care and support of those who have suffered abuse and to
the procedures laid down by the National Catholic Safeguarding
Commission.”
Among the priests guilty of abuse was Fr Christopher
Cunningham, the popular rector of St Etheldreda’s in Holborn, London,
who died last December aged 79.
Fr Kit Cunningham, who taught at
St Michael’s school, in Soni, Tanzania, in the 1960s, is alleged to have
sexually abused six boys as young as eight, alongside three other
priests from the order, officially known as the Institute of Charity: Fr
Bernard Collins, Fr Douglas Raynor and Fr William Jackson. All
confessed to abuse in signed letters witnessed by the Rosminian
provincial Fr David Myers. Fr Collins and Fr Raynor also physically
abused the children, who described them as “sadists”.
The victims spoke out in a BBC documentary, Abused: Breaking the Silence, broadcast last Tuesday night.
The
22 men who have taken legal action also include 11 former pupils of the
Rosminian-run Grace Dieu Manor prep school in Leicestershire.
Fr
Collins had worked at Grace Dieu where he sexually abused nine-year-old
Donald MacFaul. When Mr MacFaul’s father raised his complaint with the
school, he was told that Fr Collins would not return after the holidays.
Instead, he remained for another term and was then transferred to St Michael’s in Soni.
Mr MacFaul, now a barrister in Newcastle, said that until 2009 and the revelations from Soni he had assumed that Collins had been sent away from children.
Mr MacFaul, now a barrister in Newcastle, said that until 2009 and the revelations from Soni he had assumed that Collins had been sent away from children.
He said: “I found that to be appalling that was quite
distressing. Essentially they harboured this nest of vipers.”
Francis
Lionnet, a former Grace Dieu pupil, recalled that Fr Collins used to
sexually, whip and on some occasions fire a rifle at boys. He said: “I
have spoken to men in their 50s and 60s who have broken down in tears
talking about what happened. There have been suicides linked to these
schools.”
Mr Lionnet added that just one former pupil from either school was still a Mass-going Catholic.
Martin
Marriott, who was sexually abused by Fr Cunningham, said it “troubled
me all my life” and that, like many pupils, he was “furious” that Fr
Cunningham had received an MBE.
“It was difficult to describe the
feelings of fear at the school. There was no one to turn to, even our
parents didn’t believe us because they thought priests were good.
“We
were absolutely furious that Collins had been transferred. When he
arrived at Soni he founded kindred spirits but he had a very strong
intellect, very dominant. The masters were as terrified of him as we
were.”
The allegations came public after a group of former Soni
pupils met via a website forum. It quickly transpired that, on top of
the violence in the school, sexual abuse had been widespread too.
In
September 2009 they approached Fr Myers with the dossier of claims
relating to the two schools and in November were invited to St
Etheldreda’s, where Fr Cunningham had been rector for almost 30 years.
Fr
Myers contacted the four priests, who all admitted to abuse and wrote
letters to some of their victims. Fr Rayner, now 92, admitted to using
excessive force and to groping pupils, and accepted that he would have
to leave his current parish.
Fr Cunningham wrote to John
Poppleton, now 53, to say: “It is with deep shame that I write to you to
ask forgiveness for inappropriate actions that I did to you. It has
been on my conscience ever since and the thought of what I did has often
preyed on my mind these last 40 years.”
Fr Cunningham was a
high-profile and popular figure in London, often called the unofficial
chaplain of Fleet Street, as well as being the founder of the
Westminster diocesan newspaper and chaplain of the Catholic Writers
Guild.
He wrote regularly for The Catholic Herald. He also worked as a prison chaplain and was active in helping the homeless.