ENDA KENNY received overwhelming public support following his speech on the Cloyne report, but was also told he was a bad role model for his children and that he would end up apologising to the Pope in the Vatican.
The Taoiseach issued a blistering denunciation of the Vatican in the July 20 speech and, later that month, said he had received thousands of messages in response, including many supportive ones from members of the clergy.
The Irish Examiner publishes a cross-section of those messages, obtained from the Department of the Taoiseach through the Freedom of Information Act. The vast majority of the messages seen by the Irish Examiner were supportive, with several urging Mr Kenny to go further by expelling the Papal Nuncio.
But Mr Kenny also received a number of critical messages, with several of the letter writers accusing him of insulting the Church.
One member of the public told Mr Kenny he was a "disgrace" to his family and a "very bad role model" for his children.
Another person predicted: "When you have apologised to the Pope in the Holy See you will reconsider."
Mr Kenny’s faith was questioned by another, due to the Government’s vow to force priests to disclose information on child sex abuse obtained during Confession.
"Please don’t insult our intelligence by claiming to be a faithful Catholic," the letter stated. "Faithful Catholics do not call for the sundering of the Catholic sacraments."
But another letter writer, supportive of Mr Kenny, said the fact that he was a practising Catholic "added to the effect" of his criticism.
"It is possible and even desirable to rebuke the Vatican as a faithful Catholic, and it makes the rebuke far more effective that it comes from within rather than from outside the Church."
The Irish Examiner requested to view letters and emails received by the department between July 20 and August 1.
A total of 507 messages were released, with 455 (89.8%) entirely supportive of the speech; a further 23 (4.5%) conditionally supportive; and the remaining 29 (5.7%) critical.
The messages came from all over Ireland and across the world, from countries such as the US, Australia and China.
They were made up of letters from abuse victims, counsellors and support groups, priests, nuns and theologians, parents and grandparents.
They show Mr Kenny did indeed receive many supportive messages from clergy members, but also some critical ones.
A number of people, meanwhile, called for investigations into other dioceses.
In his Dáil speech, Mr Kenny said the rape and torture of children had been "downplayed or managed" in order to uphold the primacy and power of the Vatican.
"As a practising Catholic, I don’t say any of this easily," he added.
The Government has since announced that it is closing the Irish Embassy to the Vatican, but has cited cost grounds as the reason rather than the fallout from Cloyne.
The Irish Examiner publishes a cross-section of those messages, obtained from the Department of the Taoiseach through the Freedom of Information Act. The vast majority of the messages seen by the Irish Examiner were supportive, with several urging Mr Kenny to go further by expelling the Papal Nuncio.
But Mr Kenny also received a number of critical messages, with several of the letter writers accusing him of insulting the Church.
One member of the public told Mr Kenny he was a "disgrace" to his family and a "very bad role model" for his children.
Another person predicted: "When you have apologised to the Pope in the Holy See you will reconsider."
Mr Kenny’s faith was questioned by another, due to the Government’s vow to force priests to disclose information on child sex abuse obtained during Confession.
"Please don’t insult our intelligence by claiming to be a faithful Catholic," the letter stated. "Faithful Catholics do not call for the sundering of the Catholic sacraments."
But another letter writer, supportive of Mr Kenny, said the fact that he was a practising Catholic "added to the effect" of his criticism.
"It is possible and even desirable to rebuke the Vatican as a faithful Catholic, and it makes the rebuke far more effective that it comes from within rather than from outside the Church."
The Irish Examiner requested to view letters and emails received by the department between July 20 and August 1.
A total of 507 messages were released, with 455 (89.8%) entirely supportive of the speech; a further 23 (4.5%) conditionally supportive; and the remaining 29 (5.7%) critical.
The messages came from all over Ireland and across the world, from countries such as the US, Australia and China.
They were made up of letters from abuse victims, counsellors and support groups, priests, nuns and theologians, parents and grandparents.
They show Mr Kenny did indeed receive many supportive messages from clergy members, but also some critical ones.
A number of people, meanwhile, called for investigations into other dioceses.
In his Dáil speech, Mr Kenny said the rape and torture of children had been "downplayed or managed" in order to uphold the primacy and power of the Vatican.
"As a practising Catholic, I don’t say any of this easily," he added.
The Government has since announced that it is closing the Irish Embassy to the Vatican, but has cited cost grounds as the reason rather than the fallout from Cloyne.