A long-serving bishop has sparked a storm of controversy over his fitness for the job after revealing he once thought paedophilia was "friendship gone too far".
The head of the Catholic Church’s child abuse watchdog, Ian Elliott, called into question the competence of Bishop John Kirby over remarks made following his audit of the Diocese of Clonfert.
"Care needs to be taken when appointing a bishop that you do not appoint a bishop with these attitudes," said Mr Elliott.
"These are basic competencies that everyone should have in authority. I’m not calling for anyone to resign but, for me, that’s an absolute basic requirement."
Bishop Kirby, who has been in charge of the diocese since 1989, made the remark on the back of apologies to survivors of two abusive priests he moved from one parish to another in 1990 and 1994.
"I saw it as a friendship that crossed a boundary line. I have learnt sadly since that it was a very different experience," he told Galway Bay FM.
Clonfert was one of seven audits carried out by Mr Elliott’s National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) and published yesterday.
In total, allegations were made against 146 clerics relating to 378 complaints of abuse. Twelve convictions were secured.
Yesterday, Mr Elliott said the low conviction rate was a "consistent theme" in child abuse. "It raises serious questions about the justice system and their response to child abuse."
The audits found a notably higher incidence of abuse allegations against members of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), the Spiritans, and the Dominicans than against priests in the dioceses of Cork and Ross, Limerick, Clonfert, and Kildare and Leighlin.
Particularly serious breaches of child protection regulations were confirmed at the MSC and the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans).
Allegations were made against 17 MSC priests, six of whom were teaching at the Sacred Heart College in Carrignavar, Co Cork. Three of these priests worked in the school from the 1970s to 1990s but evidence of a paedophile ring has not been confirmed.
Mr Elliott described the lack of child safeguarding practices in MSC as "indefensible" and its culture as "deeply flawed".
He said that a "wall of secrecy" meant abuse allegations were not shared with the gardaí or HSE. Few within the order were made aware of allegations and provincial leaders worked off "anecdotal evidence" as they had never seen the case files. They had no idea of the "volume" of complaints.
Information about offenders was not provided to other dioceses if a priest transferred.
Despite its own laws, not even the Church’s global abuse watchdog, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, was told of credible complaints.
When allegations were put to accused MSC priests, several confessed to committing abuse.
However, none of these other victims were contacted by the MSC and none of these confessions were passed on to gardaí or the HSE.
By the end of next year, the NBSCCC hopes to have completed audits on the Church’s 26 dioceses and 186 orders.
