Three out of four people now believe that the Catholic church should
pull put of the ownership and governance of healthcare institutions in
the wake of yet another scandal about the church's role in child abuse
and the cover-up of that abuse.
In our latest readers' latest poll, irishhealth.com
asked whether, in the wake of the damning Cloyne report, the Catholic
church should be allowed maintain any involvement in healthcare.
Seventy-five per cent said no, 21% said yes, while 4% were unsure.
The poll result reflects public concern over continuing church
involvement in the running of many hospitals, including children's
hospitals, in light of the abuse scandals of recent years.
The Cloyne report, published last month, revealed that some 40 people
were affected by clerical sexual abuse in the area of Cork up to as
recently as 2009.
It found that the Catholic Church's handling of allegations was poor
or non-existent, and stated that the former Bishop of Cloyne John Magee,
deliberately misled the authorities and
took little interest in dealing
with this issue until as late as 2008.
Since the publication of the Cloyne report, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has
launched a scathing attack on the Vatican over its role in the Cloyne
scandal.
"For the first time in Ireland, a report into child sexual abuse
exposes an attempt by the Holy See to frustrate an inquiry in a
sovereign, democratic republic, as little as three years ago, not three
decades ago. In doing so, the Cloyne Report excavates the dysfunction,
disconnection, elitism and the narcissism that dominate the culture of
the Vatican to this day, " the Taoiseach said.
The role of the Catholic church in the ownership and governance of
hospitals that are almost completely State-funded is still significant.
The Sisters of Mercy and Sisters of Charity orders still own two of Ireland's biggest hospitals - the Mater and St Vincent's.
The Sisters of Mercy ran a number of industrial schools in the past
including the notorious Goldenbridge.
The Sisters of Charity were also
involved in running institutions where abuse took place.
The institutions run by both of these orders featured in the Ryan
Commission report on institutional child abuse published in 2009.
The Mater Hospital's website states: The Mater Misericordiae
University Hospital is a single member company limited by guarantee with
a share capital...the company is a subsidiary of Mater Misericordiae
University Hospital and the Children's University Hospitals
Limited...the majority of the members of the parent company are Sisters
of Mercy and the remaining members represent the Catholic Archdiocese of
Dublin, the Catholic Nurses Guild of Ireland, the Society of St.
Vincent de Paul and the medical consultants of the Mater Misericordiae
University Hospital and of the Children's University Hospital, Temple
Street."
A recent Mater newsletter, referring to the hospital's 150th
anniversary this year, includes a history of the Mercy order, which,
among other things informs us: "The Patroness of the Mercy Congregation
is Our Lady of Mercy who is also Queen of Heaven."
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin is still Chairman of Crumlin
Children's Hospital and Holles Street National Maternity Hospital.
The
Murphy report in 2009 revealed how two appalling cases of abuse by two
priests working at Crumlin hospital were neglected and covered up by
predecessors of the current Archbishop.
At Holles Street Hospital, the Catholic Archbishop is Chairman, and three local parish priests are on the board.
A list of of hospitals in which the Catholic church has a major involvement in ownership and governance includes:
* Children's University Hospital, Temple Street (Sisters of Mercy).
* St Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire (Sisters of Charity).
* National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghaire (Sisters of Mercy).
* Our Lady's Children's Hosital, Crumlin (Chaired by Catholic Archbishop of Dublin).
* National Maternity Hospital (Chaired by Catholic Archbishop of Dublin)
* Cappagh National Orthopedic Hospital (Sisters of Mercy).
Two voluntary hospitals formerly run by religious orders - Our Lady
of Lourdes in Drogheda and Portiuncula in Ballinasloe, became State-run
hospitals in recent years.