Athy priest: I'll go to Lough Derg on pilgrimage in solidarity gesture with abused
THE parish priest of Athy, Fr Michael Murtagh, said the findings described in the Murphy Commuission's Report sent shivers down his spine.
And he has said he will complete a pilgrimage to Lough Derg next summer as a gesture of solidarity with the victims of the abuse.
Addressing Mass goers, Fr Murtagh said that amid the horrific hurt that has been inflicted on victims no institution, bishop or priest can completely erase the face of Christ or undo his mission.
"Although we feel for the victims of abuse the one shaft of light is that His grace is amazing even in the midst of this horrible abuse. Hope is deeper than despair."
Fr Murtagh added than in spite of the hurt that has been caused, he was thankful for each and every person who came to Mass over the weekend in the immediate wake of the publishing of the report. In addition, around "half a dozen" parishioners called personally to the parochial house to express their support and show that they were not willing to tar all priests with the same brush, said Fr Murtagh.
However, he said that words did not do enough: "I think that the bishop's apology has to go further. As a man firstly and as a priest and because I am part of this institution I feel I have to make some form of atonement."
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Jim Moriarty, is mentioned in the report as having received a complaint of abuse of one of the most notorious abusers in the report.
It also says that while the bishop now admits that he could have asked for a search of the archives to determine if there were any complaints about the priest in question, no such search took place.
Having received the complaint, which included allegations that the priest in question, Fr Edmonston, was "driving young girls around in his car and allegations that the girls had sometimes changed in his house before going swimming, giving young children money and not allowing adults into his house - only the very old or young were allowed in", the report states that Bishop Moriarty discussed the problem with the local priests and with Archbishop Desmond Connell.
"He then warned Fr Edmondus about his behaviour and advised him to desist from the activities mentioned.
"After this, the parish priest noted a change in his (Fr Edmonston's] behaviour but others felt he still surrounded himself with children."
The report notes that "no attempt was made by the archdiocesan authorities to check the archives or other files relating to Fr Edmondus when these complaints were received".
It is clear from the report that if the archives were checked, a number of complaints would have been found, including one by Marie Collins, who later went on to become a prominent campaigner on the issue.
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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