Weather: Hi 4°C / Lo 2°C
Archbishop describes scale of abuse by priests as "staggering"
Friday, 28 November 2008
Print
Email
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has described the scale of abuse by priests of the Dublin Diocese as "staggering".
In a letter to priests Dr Martin says at least 400 men and women have suffered trauma as a result of having been sexually abused by a priest working in the diocese of Dublin.
This letter - seen by the Irish Catholic newspaper - was sent by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to priests in the Dublin diocese.
In it Dr Martin says that the fact 400 people have been abused by Dublin priests is staggering and the figure is most certainly not final.
Dr Martin writes "we as priests are extremely upset and offended by what has happened through the actions of some".
The archbishop is to host a number of meetings early next month to prepare priests for the fallout from the report of the Dublin Inquiry into abuse in the diocese, which is due to finish its work at the end of January.
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.
Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.
Abuse of men is nothing in comparison to the abuse of God as the
Vatican 2 new mass does.
Posted by Allan simoes | 07.12.08, 14:06 GMT
As a Christian and a survivor of both familial and priest abuse I have to agree with most of the comments I have read. Dr Martin's admission is a small step in the right direction but let's be clear. The greatest consequence of a priest (man of God?) abusing a child is that it may well destroy that child's faith and thus separate him/her from God. That is the greatest evil. One guy I spoke to years ago said just this. The abuse he suffered destroyed his faith in everything, including his faith in God.
Let's all stick together in continuing to speak out about this evil social problem. Those of us who are Christians must continue to pray for the millions of abuse victims around the world and (the harder part of being a Christian) we must pray for the perpetrators of abuse so that they might save their own Souls.
Christmas greetings from an icy London!
Pete Saunders - National Association for People Abused in Childhood. www.napac.org.uk
Posted by Peter Saunders | 03.12.08, 09:36 GMT
One poster asks - where was the Good Shepherd?
The truth is - God gives each man free will to choose the good or the evil. Many choose evil. Many priests obviously chose one of the most vicious forms of evil - sexual abuse of young ones (who - by the way - were mostly teenage boys targeted by homosexual priests - same as here in America - where 80% of the abuse was homosexual).
Justice will be had - but only after we die. Then we will meet the Good Shephered, face to face, and unrepentant evildoers will go to the place they have chosen.
As for the Church - it is deep in massive denial about all sorts of things - not the least of which is the overwhelming silence and covering-up by all sorts of priests, including a great, great many who were not direct abusers themselves. The other cover-up is about the sodomitic nature of most of the abuse, and the giant and pervasive homosexual/sodomitic presence in the priesthood. The Church has been homosexualized.
James
Posted by James | 02.12.08, 17:28 GMT
Why didn't God stop it???
Posted by W.C. Fields | 01.12.08, 06:02 GMT
Congratulations to Dr. Martin and the the Belfast Telegraph for the candor that is needed to begin to deal with the pedophile disaster created by priests, ministers, schoolteachers and others in positions of trust. I am convinced that almost all of the crimes involved in the disaster are merely symptoms of much more deeply seated problems. It would take another doctoral thesis to deal with these matters. The children of Northern Ireland have been equally damaged by the totally unnecessary paramilitary wars and skirmishes that began in 1969. Clergy of various persuasions have not yet entered into adequate authentic dialog largely because the illness of non communication is systemic. May God bless all of you as we approach the Christmas season. To all in N. Ireland...may I remind you that Jesus Christ is neither Protestant or Catholic. Respectfully Yours, Dr. Henry
Posted by DR. HENRY, Texas | 28.11.08, 23:56 GMT
Where, oh where, oh where was the Good Shepherd? What would have been the words of Paul to the bishops who neglected their duty? Remember his stern admonition to the Christian community concerning its male member who married his father's wife? Were he alive today, you can be sure there would have been no temporizing with these hirelings.
Posted by Amos | 28.11.08, 18:25 GMT