Bishop Willie Walsh has said the forthcoming report into clerical abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese is a 'sad and devastating' indictment of all dioceses and the Church as a whole in Ireland. Speaking to The Irish Catholic on the fringes of the Céifin Conference in Ennis on Tuesday, which this year focused on the need for quality leadership, Bishop Walsh said the Dublin Report, which could be published within days, 'is simply a sample of other dioceses, a sample of the Church in Ireland'.
Powerful interest
He said that, in the past, the Church had become a very powerful interest group in society, and held a position of power that wasn't founded on the Gospel.
''Christ was never in a position of power, in fact, it was powerlessness that led to his death on the cross.
''The Church should never aspire to be in a powerful position,'' he said.
Dr Walsh said he believed the publication of the Dublin Report, which is expected to detail widespread abuse suffered by children, will ultimately be 'good for the Church'. He said: ''In the past, we were acting with powerful strength, almost a political strength; now the power is in witnessing to Gospel values.''
Meanwhile, Fr Harry Bohan, director of the Céifin centre for values-led change, said the Church needs to re-examine its model of leadership if it is to have a role in the future.
Many clerics might find it hard to let go of the top down model of leadership, and many laity don't want them to let go, Fr Bohan told the conference.
''Our society is reeling from the collapse of institutions which once enjoyed unquestioned authority.
''We have inherited top down models of leadership where questioning and dissent were not tolerated, protection of the institution was primary and these models alienated people on the ground and bred a culture of dependence,'' he said.
''The leadership of the future said Fr Bohan must be rooted in values, values such as telling the truth which is required as a matter of honour in any civilised society.''
Hopeful future
Looking to the future, Bishop Walsh said he remains hopeful. There is hope, he said, in the values of the Gospel such as truth, justice and solidarity.
''In a time of crisis, these qualities will come out of a new leadership which has courage and conviction to clearly stand for these values. We all need to recognise the seriousness of the situation,'' he said, adding that ''when people do, leadership will emerge.''
The High Court decided last month that the Dublin Report could be published with the exception of one chapter the Court feared could prejudice the trails of suspects currently awaiting trial.
However, the report was again referred to the judiciary for advice by the Minister for Justice.
The High Court is now expected to give a ruling this week on whether or not the report can be published.
If the judgement is affirmative, the text of the edited text of the report could be made public within days.
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