Irish Bishops respond to Ryan Report
11. Jun, 2009 
2 Comments
Read the statement of the Irish Bishops Conference on the Ryan report issued after their June 2009 meeting. Also includes podcast which features the Dublin solidarity march.
Discussion on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Report
At their June 2009 General Meeting, the Irish Bishops Conference discussed the failure of Church institutions to protect children and to prevent the extensive level of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and neglect, as documented by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Report, by Mr Justice Sean Ryan, published on 20 May last.
“The Ryan Report represents the most recent disturbing indictment of a culture that was prevalent in the Catholic Church in Ireland for far too long. Heinous crimes were perpetrated against the most innocent and vulnerable, and vile acts with life-lasting effects were carried out under the guise of the mission of Jesus Christ. This abuse represents a serious betrayal of the trust which was placed in the Church. For this we ask forgiveness. We are ashamed, humbled and repentant that our people strayed so far from their Christian ideals.
“At our meeting we devoted a lot of time discussing the Report. While we need time to reflect on the detail of the report, and we offer the following as an initial response as a Conference:
- Our first reaction is a heavy sadness at the suffering of so many for so long.
- We wish to invite survivors to engage with us to see how we can assist those who have been abused.
- We wish to respond as pastors despite the inadequacies at times of our previous pastoral responses.
- We urge the whole Church community to join with us in praying for the well being and peace of mind for all who suffered.”
Meetings of Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin in the Holy See
Bishops reflected on the visit of Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin to Rome and their meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday. Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin informed the Holy Father, and the heads of the Rome Congregations, on the content and impact of the Ryan report and other issues facing the Irish Church.
The Holy Father once again urged the Bishops and all in the Church-
- to continue to establish the truth of what happened and why;
- to ensure that justice is done for all;
- to see that measures put in place to prevent abuse from happening again are fully applied, and,
- to help to bring healing to the survivors of abuse.
Following the revelation of the atrocious crimes against hundreds of thousands of children perpetrated by catholic religious orders in Ireland I would like to see the pope and the leaders of these orders charged with crimes against humanity and their assets siezed to stop them continuing this evil around the rest of the world.
In answer to the cover up by the catholic church and the Irish government in refusing to name the guilty I would like to see a website where the people can name those who abused them. the Ryan report only covered residential institutions but abuse was endemic in all organisations run by christian brothers, nuns and priests around the country. Let see them named by town, by organisation and by institution.
Paul Nolan
we as survivors are still hurting, hurting because of the way everything is been handled. it was very hard to come forward and tell all.
just someone please try and understand the years of struggling because we were cut off from the real world no teaching on how to grow up, the self respect stripped from us, the lack of confidence in every area of life.
those who had brothers and sisters placed into far away different schools never to see each other. families divided smashed, forgotten,on top of all this the disgusting abuse that took place.
how can this government and religious orders really ignore the suffering of today thousand marched together in protest and many thousands there in spirit.
does the church and government think a pocket full of change can alter things? both the government and religious orders have set up educational and counseling funds this is ok but what about the survivors who do not want either or both. I thought the church believed in the trinity they must believe in the number three so where is the third part?
what is the third part ? answer; THE COST OF LIVING.
survivors find it harder than anyone, most cannot rely on family as due to the past there is no family they are completely alone. its alright handing out or sending letters and forms on the news of what is going on to survivors from some support groups. how much the educational, counseling, solicitors, board meetings panels and so on cost the tax payer. IT COST US A WHOLE LOT MORE.
what is all this about where is the support for survivors and their families, why do they have to pay out the same as everyone else, they have paid the cost already with their lives.
when they were children they had their whole life a head of them, now they are older they have had a life no one would ever have wanted.
surly it would not cost the tax payer if both government and religious orders made decisions to cut the cost of living just for SURVIVORS who have to pay as they struggle through no fault of their own.
Rob