The Vatican has issued its response to criticism levelled against it
by the Government following publication of the Cloyne report.
In a 25-page statement, the Vatican rebuts remarks made by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil in July.
The report on the Cloyne Diocese found that Bishop John Magee falsely
told the Government and the Health Service Executive that the Catholic
Diocese was reporting all allegations of clerical child sexual abuse to
the civil authorities.
The statement from the Vatican
says "it has significant reservations that the speech made by Enda
Kenny TD in the Dáil on the 20th of July, in particular, the accusation
that the Holy See attempted to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign
democratic republic, is unfounded."
The statement added that the Holy See wishes to make it quite clear
that it in no way hampered or sought to interfere in any inquiry into
cases of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Cloyne.
Furthermore, the Vatican says that at no stage did the Holy See seek
to interfere with Irish Civil law or impeded the civil authority in the
exercise of its duties.
The Holy See observes that there is no evidence cited anywhere in the
Cloyne Report, to support the claim that its (i.e. the Vatican's)
supposed intervention contributed to the undermining of the child
protection framework and guidelines of the Irish State.
The Cloyne Report scrutinized how both Church and State authorities
handled complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse made against 19
priests working under Bishop John Magee in the Co Cork diocese between
1996 and 2009.
The response from the Vatican was prompted by scathing criticism
levelled against it by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil in July in which
he castigated what he termed "the dysfunction, disconnection and
elitism" in the Vatican.
The Vatican also responded to claims in the Cloyne Report that it
referred to a Framework Document, drawn up by Irish Bishops, on how to
deal with allegations of child sexual abuse as "not an official
document..but merely a study document."
It says that taken out of context the comments in the letter from
Archbishop Storero to Irish Bishops "could be open to misinterpretation,
giving rise to understandable criticism."
It says this description was "not a dismissal of the serious efforts
undertaken by Irish Bishops to address the grave problem of child sexual
abuse."
Rather the congregation "wished to ensure that nothing contained in
the Framework Document would give rise to difficulties should appeals be
lodged to the Holy See."
The Vatican also refutes the claim that Irish Bishops sought
recognition from Rome for the Framework Document but it was not
forthcoming.
It says Irish Bishops did not, under Canon Law, seek 'recongnito' for
the Framework
Document, therefore the Holy See cannot be criticised for
failing to grant what was never requested in the first place.
However, according to the Vatican, this would not have prevented applying the Framework Document in individual Dioceses.
Cardinal Sean Brady welcomed the publication of what he called the comprehensive reply of the Holy See to the Irish government.
He said it conveyed the profound abhorrence of the Holy See for the
crime of sexual abuse and its sorrow and shame for the terrible
suffering which the victims and their families had endured within the
Church.
He said he believed it would contribute to the healing of survivors of sexual abuse by priests.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said the response was detailed and comprehensive and he hoped it would be understood and not be an "occasion just for added polemics."
He said while some had argued that the intervention of the then Papal
Nuncio had created the opportunity to ignore guidelines he thought the
intervention did "not in fact impede the Irish Bishops."
He said there were some people who regarded only their own views and
would take no note of any documents or even approved papal norms.
"These people may be few but the damage they caused was huge."