BBC 2: THIS WORLD - THE SHAME OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 

MACSAS PRESS RELEASE                    3^rd MAY 2012

 MACSAS welcomes the BBC 2 This World documentary broadcast last night which again uncovered the institutional dynamics within the Catholic Church that protected its reputation rather than protecting children.

The documentary revealed that the Primate of All Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady knew of children who were being abused by a notorious child sex offender; knew who they were and where they lived, and did nothing to protect those children from further abuse, did not inform their parents and did not inform those who could have protected them. The Cardinal’s repeated refusal to resign over his handling of the Fr Brendan Smyth case reinforces MACSAS long held belief that the Catholic Church continues to refuse to accept responsibility for the failures to protect children over decades; failures which led to the abuse of many thousands of children both in Ireland and here in the UK after reports of child sexual abuse were first made to Church authorities.

In England in the Archdiocese of Birmingham sex offenders were helped by Church Authorities to flee the jurisdiction after allegations of child abuse were reported in the 1980s: including Fr James Robinson to the USA where he remained until his arrest and extradition in 2010, and Fr Christopher Clonan to Australia where he died in the late 1990s. Others were allowed to continue in ministry where they continued to abuse children after cases were reported including Samuel Penney and Eric Taylor.

In recent years court case after court case across the country has revealed the same dynamics of silencing victims and covering up abuse within the Church which resulted in thousands of children being abused by Catholic priests and members of religious orders.

MACSAS maintains that the evidence is now compelling that what took place in Ireland also took place in England and Wales; that priests were moved from Ireland to England, from Diocese to Diocese and from parish to parish when allegations were made against them which resulted in more children being abused. Many of the priests and members of religious orders who have been convicted of child sex offences in this country came from Ireland. At all times the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and in Ireland knew that these men posed a serious risk to children and did nothing to protect the children they allowed them to have access to.

The Catholic Church in this country refuses to acknowledge the extent of the clergy perpetrated child abuse that took place and refuses to take responsibility for the abuse perpetrated by those who were allowed to remain in ministry even though multiple allegations had been made against them as evdienced in the many hundred of cases currently in our civil courts incluidng the Supreme court and courts of Appeal involving the Catholic church and child abuse victims.

MACSAS as part of the alliance Stop Church Child Abuse calls upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into child abuse within the Catholic and Anglican Churches in England and Wales www.stopchurchchildabuse.co.uk.

Until the truth is revealed, until all reported cases of clergy sex offenders held by the Catholic and Anglican churches have been handed over to statutory authorities and until victims have been enabled to come forward to tell what happened to them and the respinses of the churches when they reproted cases, there can be no justice for those abused by clergy and religious who were put in positions of power and authority over them. The victims will not stop calling for justice until a full public inquiry is held.