CARDINAL Sean Brady and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin last night joined heads of Catholic religious orders in offering unreserved apologies to victims for the horrendous catalogue of physical brutality and sexual abuse inflicted on them as children by priests and nuns.The findings of the Commission of Abuse were even more damning and shaming of the religious orders than was expected, especially the Christian Brothers, the Oblates of Mary and the Sisters of Mercy, who ran some of the most infamous institutions in Artane, Daingean and Goldenbridge.
With the exception of the Rosminians, the religious orders were indicted by the commission of trying to explain away rather than understand how abuse became endemic in their systems of care.
Cardinal Brady said he was "profoundly sorry and deeply ashamed that children suffered in such awful ways in the Church-run institutions."
He added: "This report makes it clear that great wrong and hurt were caused to some of the most vulnerable children in our society," he said.
"It documents a shameful catalogue of cruelty, neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, perpetrated against children. Children deserved better and especially from those caring for them in the name of Jesus Christ."
Welcoming the report as throwing light on a dark period in Ireland's past, Cardinal Brady described it as "an important step in establishing the truth, giving justice to victims and ensuring such abuse does not happen again".
The cardinal hoped its publication would help to heal the hurt of victims and address the wrongs of the past.
"The Catholic Church remains determined to do all that is necessary to make the Church a safe, life-giving and joyful place for children," he said.
Horrific
The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, described the many revelations of horrific abuse as "stomach-turning" and praised the victims for their courage in telling their stories "so admirably".
He urged all the organisations involved in the report to seriously examine "how their ideals became debased by systematic abuse".
Archbishop Martin added: "We must find ways of ensuring that the cries and anxieties of children are heard and listened to. This is not a report to be put on a shelf -- it's a real cry for a new look at the way we care for our children. If we truly regret what happened in the past we must commit ourselves to a very different future."
Brother Edmund Garvey, a former head of the Christian Brothers, apologised openly and unreservedly to all those who have been hurt either directly or indirectly as a result of the deplorable actions of some Brothers.
"We are deeply sorry for the hurt caused," he said in a statement.
"We are ashamed and saddened that many who complained of abuse were not listened to."
The Sisters of Mercy renewed their unconditional apology to all who suffered in their orphanages or industrial schools while in their care.
"We know that it is a very traumatic time for everyone involved," the Sisters said.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, which ran St Conleth's Reformatory, Daingean, in Co Offaly, until its closure in 1973, acknowledged "the shortcomings on our part and the serious consequences for some of the boys in our care".
The priest who walked from Cork to Dublin as part of a one-man protest march over the Catholic Church's handling of child abuse last night expressed his disgust at the report's findings.
Fr Michael Mernagh, a Dublin-based cleric, said he was "appalled" at the massive scale of abuse uncovered in residential institutions.
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