EMBATTLED Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan has pleaded for patience as the Church deals with the impact of the Murphy report.Bishop Drennan, in a letter read at all Masses in his diocese yesterday, said "perseverance and patience" were required as the Catholic Church dealt with the issues.
"There is no quick fix, and perseverance andpatience are required in getting beyond the present difficult space," it said.
The bishop last week reiterated that he would not be stepping down, having been named in the Murphy report. He said he felt "hugely supported" by the Pope and by his colleagues at last week’s visit by the hierarchy to Rome. "What I took away from the meeting was this: we need to face the past with honesty, the present with courage, and the future with hope."
Meanwhile, one of the country’s senior bishops yesterday attempted to ease growing anger over their meeting with the Pope in Rome last week by telling parishioners that cover-ups had been admitted.
The Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Noel Treanor, also told parishioners that the meeting with Pope Benedict last week – heavily criticised by abuse victims due to the lack of an apology from the Vatican – was a point in the long process of dealing with the tragic shame and wound of abuse in the lives of victims, in the life of the Catholic Church and in society.
In a letter distributed to people in the diocese, the bishop said the meeting could not heal this "horrific wound" and asked for prayers that such healing would occur in God’s time.
As for the meeting last week, he said the bishops had repeatedly returned in their conversations with the Pope to the horrific fact that this abuse had happened within the Church.
Reports that the religious orders’ offer to cover the cost of residential institutional abuse is more than €200 million short of what the Government is demanding could cause further problems.
It is understood the religious orders have made a final offer of €348m to cover the final cost of the abuse scandal, but this represents less than the 50/50 split between Church and state demanded by some.
The total bill is expected to reach €1.36 billion, meaning the religious offer is more than €200m short.
The overall bill includes the cost of the Ryan Commission, the estimated €1.1bn cost of the Redress Board as well as money for a proposed victims’ fund and other costs.
A Government briefing last week is understood to have been informed 16 of the 18 orders have made offers of more money to the state, with property transfers to the state covering some of the cost.
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