As many as 5,000 documents relating to clerical child sex abuse are at the centre of the legal dispute between two of the most senior Catholic church figures. Cardinal Desmond Connell is trying to prevent a State inquiry reading 5,000 items out of more than 66,000 submitted by his successor, ArchBishop Diarmuid Martin.
The number of documents at the centre of the dispute emerged yesterday as the church tried to dampen down what could become a hugely damaging rift.
The documents are centred on the Archdiocese of Dublin's handling of the clerical sex abuse cases which are being investigated by a Diocesan Commission.
Disappointed
Victims of clerical abuse said yesterday that they were disappointed, but not surprised, by the cardinal's move and accused him of trying to stifle the commission's investigation.
Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Dr Eamonn Walsh, sought to downplay talk of a rift between the two prelates insisting it was just "media spin".
"My whole experience is to the contrary. There is a very warm relationship between them, very warm, friendly and cordial," he said.
He added that the current furore is about "legal issues, not personalities" and that "you're always going to go into a legal minefield where lawyers are involved".
Bishop Walsh would not be drawn on who he sides with, saying it is Church policy not to talk about the investigation while it is still on-going.
He also said that as the case is before the courts again on Monday he did not want to say anything that might prejudice that.
However, he reaffirmed the Archdiocese's intention to cooperate fully with the inquiry and said he hoped it will bring the victims of abuse another step along the road to getting as peaceful a life as possible.
He said his first thought on hearing of the legal action by the cardinal was for the victims and that the truth must be established so that they can sense they have been heard and believed.
Cardinal Connell secured an interim injunction in the High Court restraining the Dublin Diocesan Commission of Investigation from examining the files to decide whether or not they attract legal privilege and a duty of confidentiality.
The action arose after the commission secured an order compelling Archbishop Martin to produce all documents listed by him in a sworn statement of discovery in June 2006.
The statement listed documents dating from 1975 to 2004 relating to claims of child abuse against a representative sample of 46 priests in the Archdiocese.
These were delivered by Archbishop Martin to the commission in disk format on January 15 last.
Meanwhile, the Vatican last night remained silent over the legal row.
Neither the Director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr Federico Lombardi, as well as the Papal Nuncio in Dublin, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, responded to questions put to their offices, although staff in their offices invited a list of questions to be sent in by email.
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