How events unfolded in Cloyne
February 1987 Pope John Paul announces Msgr John Magee (50) is to be ordained as bishop of Cloyne.
January 1996 Child
Sexual Abuse: Framework for a Church Response is launched by the Irish
Bishops Conference and Conference of Religious of Ireland.
February 1998 :
Then taoiseach Bertie Ahern announces that mandatory reporting of child
sex abuse will be introduced within lifetime of then government. (To
date, this has still not happened.)
September 2001 :
Retired judge Gillian Hussey appointed by church hierarchy to chair its
Child Protection Committee. Audit of all dioceses announced.
February 2008 National
Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church chief executive
Ian Elliott is informed by officials in the Department of Health and
Children of a complaint about child protection practices in the diocese
of Cloyne. A man alleged he had been abused when a young boy by a
priest, Fr A, and that the matter had not been properly dealt with by
the diocese and Bishop Magee.
April 2008 : The
National Board for Safeguarding Children is contacted by Faoiseamh, the
child protection helpline for the Conference of the Religious in
Ireland, who had been contacted by a woman who alleged she had been
sexually assaulted by another priest in Cloyne, Fr B.
July 2008 Mr Elliott completes his report.
December, 2008 Bishop
Magee publishes the report, in which Mr Elliott criticises child
protection practices in the diocese of Cloyne as inadequate and
dangerous, thereby exposing vulnerable young people to further harm.
Bishop Magee apologises to victims and accepts the report’s
recommendations.
December 30th, 2008 Fr Bill
Bermingham, then designated person for safeguarding children in Cloyne,
is contacted by a man named Joseph who asks to meet him and meeting is
scheduled.
January 2nd, 2009 The meeting,
attended by Joseph’s father, takes place and Joseph alleges Bishop Magee
embraced him and kissed his forehead when they met to discuss the fact
that he was considering the priesthood. There were other meetings, with
further embraces and kisses on the forehead.
January 3rd, 2009 Fr
Bermingham informs Bishop Magee of Joseph’s allegation. He also informs
Archbishop of Cashel Dermot Clifford. Bishop Magee is shocked at the
interpretation of the meetings with Joseph but admits embracing him and
kissing his forehead.
January 7th, 2009: Archbishop
Clifford informs the Catholic primate, Cardinal Seán Brady, by phone
about these allegations against Bishop Magee. That same day then
minister for children Barry Andrews announces the remit of the Dublin
Archdiocese Commission of Investigation (the Murphy Commission) to
include an inquiry into child protection practices in Cloyne diocese.
January 13th, 2009: Cardinal Brady explicitly rejects calls for Bishop Magee to resign.
February 4th, 2009 :
Bishop Magee requests the appointment of an apostolic administrator to
Cloyne. This follows a meeting with papal nuncio Archbishop Leanza where
it appears he was asked to stand down.
February 28th, 2009: The Vatican appoints Archbishop Clifford as apostolic administrator to Cloyne diocese.
March 14th, 2009: The HSE and Garda are notified about Joseph’s allegations against Bishop Magee.
March 21st, 2009 Archbishop Clifford and Fr Bermingham met Joseph. He declines a suggestion that he meet Bishop Magee.
March 2009 The
Commission of Investigation under the chairmanship of Judge Yvonne
Murphy begins examining complaints of clerical abuse made between
January 1st, 1996, and February 1st, 2009, against priests of the
diocese of Cloyne.
March 25th, 2010 Bishop Magee announces he has tendered his resignation as bishop to Pope Benedict XVI, and it has been accepted.
June 22nd, 2010 Deadline for investigation by commission is extended until end of October by the government.
November 12th, 2010 Fr
Brendan Wrixon, with an address at Newmarket, Co Cork, pleads guilty at
Cork Circuit Criminal Court to gross indecency with a 16-year-old boy
and is given an 18-month suspended sentence by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin.
December 2010 Judge
Yvonne Murphy and her team hand over the completed report to then
minister for justice Dermot Ahern. March 2011 Minister for Justice Alan
Shatter applies to the High Court for directions arising from concern
that publication of the full report might prejudice criminal proceedings
being brought against a priest of the diocese.
April 8th, 2011 High
Court orders that the publication of one chapter relating to the priest
in question should be delayed so as not to prejudice his trial but that
the remainder of the report can be published.
July 12th, 2011 Cabinet meeting approves report for publication.
July 13th, 2011 Report is published.