The former Bishop of Cloyne Dr John Magee has said he feels ashamed
by the abuse that occurred in his diocese and that he fully accepts
responsibility for the failure to fully implement the church's child
protection guidelines there.
In his first interview since the publication of the Murphy Commission
Report on the handling of abuse allegations in the Diocese of Cloyne,
Dr Magee told RTÉ News he was truly horrified when he read the full
extent of the abuse detailed in the report.
Bishop Magee later released a statement in which he 'unreservedly'
apologised to all victims of child sexual abuse in the Cloyne diocese.
He said he felt there was nothing he could say now which would ease the pain and distress of victims.
He said he understood why victims were angry and that he had let them
down by not fully implementing the guidelines which were available to
him.
Speaking to RTÉ, he said: 'To the victims I say I am truly horrified
by the abuse that they suffered. It all came to me very clearly when I
read the complete report.
'And if by my not fully implementing the 1996 guidelines I have made
any victims suffer more, in my bended knee I beg forgiveness. I am
sorry.'
He said he is prepared to speak to victims privately and offer them his deepest apologies.
'More than that I do not know what to say. Words are not sufficient.'
He said he issued the guidelines on handling abuse allegations to every priest in his diocese.
'I endeavoured to do so (implement the guidelines), but I recognise
that I didn't go far enough to see to it that they were implemented.'
'I feel ashamed that this happened under my watch. It should never have and I truly apologise.'
He said it was his 'understanding' that the guidelines were being
adhered to and that most of the abuse took place long before he took up
the position of Bishop of Cloyne.
When asked if he had plans to make restitution to the victims, Dr Magee said that was 'a matter for the diocese'.
Dr Magee said he did not feel 'compromised' by Chapter 26 of the
report where he was found to have behaved in an inappropriate manner
towards a man named 'Joseph'.
He concluded the statement by asking to be allowed to live in peace as a retired bishop after 23 years of service.
Lack of accountabilty - Madden
The latest statement issued by Bishop John Magee has failed to
account in any way for what was revealed in the Cloyne Report, according
to the victim who first exposed crimes of clerical sexual abuse in the
country.
Andrew Madden says he wants the bishop to explain why he told the
Health Service Executive that the diocese reported allegations to it or
An Garda Síochána when this was untrue.
He also wants Dr Magee to explain why he told the then Minister for
Children, Barry Andrews, that the Irish bishops' guidelines on reporting
were being complied with when this was untrue.
'I have just read the statement by Bishop John Magee in respect of the Cloyne Report,' Mr Madden said.
'The statement contains repeated apologies for the sexual abuse of
children by priests in the Cloyne Diocese and for "the failure of the
Diocese to effectively manage allegations of child sexual abuse".
'It is hard to imagine such empty words being of any comfort or assistance to anyone.
'The fact that Bishop Magee failed to account in any way for what was
revealed in the Cloyne Report does not come as any surprise.
'Catholic Bishops, in this country and elsewhere, have a track record
of not wanting in any way to be held accountable for their actions and
inactions as revealed in the various reports.'
the US-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has said
Bishop John Magee and his top staff deliberately and repeatedly choose
to protect predators, endanger children, maintain secrets and deceive
others.
In a statement responding to the retired bishop's latest remarks on
July's Cloyne Report, a spokesman said you could not 'accept full
responsibility' for intentional self-serving decisions if you were
pretending they were just 'failures' to 'comply with guidelines'.