A SENIOR Vatican spokesman has responded to the Taoiseach’s
unprecedented criticisms of the Catholic Church following the Cloyne
report by appealing for “objectivity” in the debate.
While the
Vatican has still to deliver the formal response demanded of it by the
Government to the report, Fr Federico Lombardi promised it would reply
“at the opportune moment” to the questions raised.
In a statement
issued late last Thursday night in Rome, he stated: “It is to be hoped that the
ongoing debate on such dramatic issues can be carried out with the
necessary objectivity so as to contribute to the matter which should
most concern us all, namely the safety of children and of young people
and the renewal of a climate of trust and collaboration to this end, in
both the church and society, as wished for by the Pope in his letter to
the Catholics of Ireland.”
Fr Lombardi’s latest intervention in
the debate on Cloyne follows Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s accusation that the
Vatican had downplayed or “managed” the rape and torture of children in
order to uphold its own power and reputation.
Mr Kenny’s words
were praised by Bishop of Dromore John McAreavey, who said
they accurately reflected the deep anger of Irish people at the contents
of the report and the huge challenges ahead for the church.
Auxiliary
Bishop of Armagh Gerard Clifford said he was taken aback by the force
and “wide, sweeping nature” of the Taoiseach’s address in the Dáil.
“I
acknowledge the reason for the intensity of feeling expressed, given the
awful findings of the Cloyne report.”
Fine Gael parliamentary
party chairman Charlie Flanagan wrote to the Dáil justice committee
proposing members invite former Bishop of Cloyne John Magee to
come before the committee to answer questions.
Bishop Magee’s
whereabouts remain unknown, over a week after the publication of the report
and despite calls by other bishops for him to answer questions on its
findings.
Mr Flanagan last week called for the expulsion of papal nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza.
The
post of Irish ambassador to the Holy See is currently vacant, but
Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said it was “not an option”
to appoint the Irish Ambassador to Italy to also be ambassador to the
Vatican.
This was because the Vatican does not accept the accreditation
of an ambassador who is also ambassador to Italy.
Mr Gilmore told
Labour TD Kevin Humphreys the Embassy existed to maintain a permanent
point of contact with the Catholic Church.
Mr Humphreys said the Embassy
should be closed in order to send a message that Ireland would not
tolerate the Vatican’s failures on child protection.
Meanwhile,
Ian Elliott, chairman of the church’s National Board for Safeguarding
Children, said the Government’s promise to create a statutory framework
for child protection services was welcome but long overdue.
Writing in Friday’s
Irish Times , he said the problems in Cloyne were exposed by the board and not the HSE or the Garda.
The Garda Press Office said a review of the report to see if further action was merited has not yet been completed.