THE CATHOLIC Church is experiencing a testing time, having been
rocked by the barbs of a “secular and godless culture” on the outside
and the “sins and crimes of priests” within, Bishop Philip Boyce of
Raphoe has said.
Dr Boyce, who has promised to publish a report
into clerical abuse in his diocese soon, urged Catholics not to lose
confidence in their faith and to act with hope and patience during the
current difficult times for the church.
“The moment of history we
live through in Ireland at present is certainly a testing one for the
church and for all of us,” he said. “Attacked from the outside by the
arrows of a secular and godless culture, rocked from the inside by the
sins and crimes of priests and consecrated people, we all feel the
temptation to lose confidence.”
Dr Boyce said the current troubles
seemed to be the worst ever for the church but that this was “simply
because they are the ones we struggle through at present”.
“Simply
to worry and fret makes the anguish fester within us. We do not deny
them but rather take them as our share in Christ’s redeeming
sufferings.”
Dr Boyce made the comments, which were not released
to journalists until Tuesday night, during the novena at the Marian
shrine in Knock, Co Mayo, at the weekend.
The review of the
diocese by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic
Church investigated all complaints or allegations of clerical child sex
abuse made to the diocese between 1975 and this year.
It is expected to
be published next month.
The diocese was previously accused of
covering up abuse perpetrated by convicted paedophile Fr Eugene Greene,
who served as a priest in Raphoe in the 1980s and early 1990s.
To
date, six dioceses have been audited fully by the board. It is hoped the
process will be completed in all 26 dioceses by mid-2012.
Dr
Boyce has said all allegations made known to the Raphoe diocese were
reported to the Garda and the Health Service Executive, and that he gave
the inquiry team his full co-operation and access to diocese files.
Earlier this month, Dr Boyce, who has seen draft copies of the board’s report, described an article in the
Irish Independent about the inquiry as “alarmist” and “not in the public interest”.
It
said “hundreds and hundreds of victims” in the diocese were abused
“again and again”, while the church “actively prevented” investigations
by the civil authorities.
He said he intended to complain formally about
the matter.