This is taken direct from the RTE News website (they were cool about it) and needs very little editorialising.
The incoming leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has described as 'courageous' members of the clergy who have admitted abusing children in their care.
His comment has provoked outrage among child protection groups.
And other humans presumably.
Bishop Vincent Nichols will be installed as the Archbishop of Westminster later today, thereby becoming leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
When asked about the contents of the report from the Child Abuse Commission, he described it as distressing and disturbing but said it had taken courage for members of the clergy to face up to the facts in their past.
Is this what they call absolution?
He said that the report should not overshadow all of the good that these clergy members had also done.
Quite. Good deeds 51%. Child abuse a mere 49%.
3 comments:
Always something of a sticky wicket to start editorialising on a second hand account of what someone did or didn't say.
Here's the quote from his interview on "News At Ten":
"It's very distressing and very disturbing. And my heart goes out today, first of all to those people who will find that their stories are now told in public.
Second, I think of those in religious orders and some of the clergy in Dublin who have to face these facts from their past, which instinctively and quite naturally they'd rather not look at.
That takes courage. And also we shouldn't forget that this account today will also overshadow all of the good that they also did."
So he didn't describe kiddie fiddling members of the clergy as "courageous". He said that it takes courage pick over heinous deeds of the past. And he said that this was something that that the religious orders will have to face up to.
In other words, the clergy will have to undertake certain actions that will require courage. That's a bit different to directly calling them courageous.
Similarly, he said that the revelations WILL overshadow any previous good works done. He didn't say that this would be a bad thing.
I hate to be seen defending the cafflick hierarchy, but it's important to stop FTWWLT decending into dodgy reportage, no?
"..it's important to stop FTWWLT decending into dodgy reportage, no?"
May the Good Lord Himself Forfend.
If he did actually say that, he should be ashamed of himself. Still, I don't suppose an organisation that systematically covered up the abuse of 35,000 children in Ireland alone really seems to understand the concept of shame.
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