ARCHBISHOP Dermot Clifford has warned that priests may withdraw from
their parishioners as a result of the latest clerical-abuse revelations.
Speaking
at St John's Cathedral in Limerick Sunday, the Archbishop of Cashel
and Emly said he hoped the revelations did not strain relations between
priests and the people.
"It is important that priests should not
get discouraged or be confined to the sacristy -- but be out among the
people," he said.
"There is a danger today that priests may become
withdrawn a bit from the people . . . (and) become cultic figures
interested only in what happens in the church, sacristy and at the
altar.
"It is good that (priests) . . . take care with liturgy,
but it should be a preparation and a motivation to go out. With the
problems of the past few years and the past few days, it may cause some .
. . to avoid going out at all when they feel ashamed of what has
happened.
"It is important priests would be with the people
because people love their local priests and scandals won't put them off
their love for their local priest even though what happened is a scandal
and very regrettable."
Meanwhile, Mass-goers at St Colman's
Cathedral, Cobh, Co Cork, expressed their anger and
disappointment that Dr Clifford did not appear at yesterday's service.
A small congregation at 10am Mass heard Fr Michael Leamy read a prepared statement from the archbishop.
A
handful of parishioners stood outside the church, listening to the
statement on the PA, before promptly leaving when it was finished.
"I
don't want to go inside the church," said one, "but I wanted to hear
what he had to say. I don't think it's good enough (that Dr Clifford was
not in attendance), and he should really be here in person."
The
archbishop said in his statement that he understood people were
"experiencing many different emotions, including shock, anger,
disappointment and sadness at what (was) in this report".
Parishioners
also expressed dismay at the absence of Bishop John Magee, a central
figure in the Cloyne Report whose whereabouts are unknown since the
report's publication.
"Surely (Bishop) Magee should be at least in Ireland, if not here," said Barry Kelleher from Cobh.
"I'd have thought the gardai would like to speak to him. People won't forget this."