The Church's response to clerical child sex abuse allegations "would have been different" if lay people and particularly women had been involved, Irish Bishop Michael Neary of Tuam has said. In a reflection on the Irish bishops' summit with Pope Benedict last week, he also said that "in the discussions he asked for the forgiveness of the victims", the Irish Times reports.
He said "the need for co-operation with civil authorities, HSE and gardaí, and the complete implementation of the church's own norms and procedures were seen as central to the safeguarding of children".
At their meetings in the Vatican he said "the sense of pain, betrayal and anger expressed by victims was conveyed by the bishops. Scandal and shame was acknowledged by all who participated."
Central to their discussions with the pope and senior Curia figures was "outreach to survivors, the desire to accompany them in their pain and help them find hope.
The contributing causes to what had taken place and the lessons to be learned for the future were underlined.
"If lay people, and particularly women, had been involved as they now are in addressing this issue the response would have been different. Poor past management of sexual abuse cases has contributed to the suffering experienced by victims."
At the meetings "it was acknowledged that while this is not a problem which is peculiar to Ireland or to the English-speaking world, or the church, nevertheless its impact is intensified in the church, damaging its credibility in a number of areas, for example, its teaching on marriage and the family, on sexual morality, and on the church's role in education and Catholic schools", he said.
While "there was an honest and courageous acknowledgment of the challenge facing all of us as a church at this time, the prevailing mood was one of hope and trust in God . . . Together we can do this, knowing that Christ has promised to journey with us," he said.
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