BISHOP MAGEE: ARCHBISHOP OF Cashel and Emly Dr
Dermot Clifford has said he was not aware of any other incident of
inappropriate behaviour involving Bishop John Magee other than the one
incident investigated by the Commission of Investigation into Clerical
Abuse in the Diocese of Cloyne.
Archbishop Clifford said while the
commission described Bishop Magee as having “mental reservations” about
what to write in one Fr Caden’s file, he believed Bishop Magee had told
lies, and that was indefensible.
He believed the bishop had
failed to properly supervise Msgr Denis O’Callaghan as child protection
delegate when Msgr O’Callaghan had indicated he did not believe the
church should report complaints of abuse to the civil authorities.
The
report looked at a complaint from a young man that when aged 17 and
considering joining the priesthood, Bishop Magee had embraced him
tightly, kissed him on the forehead and told him he loved him and
dreamed about him.
Judge Yvonne Murphy and her team concluded the
Diocese of Cloyne had handled the complaint correctly when it sought
advice from child protection experts who deemed the incident
inappropriate behaviour, rather than sexual abuse.
Archbishop
Clifford said he did not believe the incident compromised Bishop Magee’s
ability to implement child protection policies in the diocese.
He
said he based this on the fact Bishop Magee stepped down as
administrator of the diocese just four months later, in March 2009.
Archbishop
Clifford backed Bishop Magee when a report by the National Board for
Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church published by Bishop Magee
in December 2008 highlighted deficiencies in child protection practices
in the diocese.
He said he changed his mind on the tenability of
Bishop Magee’s position when he took over running the diocese on March
7th, 2009, and examined files on complaints of clerical sexual abuse.