THE JUSTICE for Magdalenes (JFM) group has accused the Catholic
Church of giving survivors of the Magdalene laundries the “classic
run-around” and has claimed four letters it sent to Archbishop Diarmuid
Martin of Dublin over the last 18 months have not been answered.
The group has again written to Dr Martin following an interview he gave on RTÉ Radio One’s
Morning Ireland last Thursday in which he said he was “sympathetic”
to the Magdalene women’s case.
The church had addressed such issues
from the past and there was “no reason why we can’t address this one”,
he said.
He added Cardinal Seán Brady, as president of the Irish Episcopal Conference, had met representatives of JFM.
In
a letter sent to Archbishop Martin on behalf of JFM, Prof Jim
Smith from Boston College said he was heartened by the radio interview.
He
said he had also written to the four congregations involved in running
the laundries – the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Charity, Good Shepherd
Sisters, and Sisters of Our Lady of Charity – “all of who have a
presence in the Dublin archdiocese”, when he had previously written to
the archbishop.
“Finally, last June, I heard directly from the
Good Shepherd Sisters and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity and they
informed me that they didn’t feel there was ‘anything to talk about’ and
that they would not meet with JFM.”
Prof Smith pointed out he had
also written to Cori (Conference of Religious of Ireland) “last July
seeking a meeting, as suggested by Cardinal Brady. We heard back on
October 1st, 2010, that Cori was not prepared to meet with us, referring
us instead to the four religious congregations.”
“JFM very much
feels that the Catholic Church in Ireland, and especially the four
religious congregations, are engaged in giving JFM, with all due
respect, a classic run-around . . . the church is pursuing a ‘deny ’til
they die’ policy.”
He recalled how at the “Liturgy of Lament and
Repentance” in Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral last February, Archbishop Martin
had apologised and urged abuse survivors to continue to speak out.
Prof
Smith continued: “JFM is doing precisely what you asked other survivors
of institutional abuse to do – we are speaking out, seeking the truth.”
A spokeswoman for Archbishop Martin said Prof Smith had been in touch and would get a response “in due course”.