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Irish Prelates Note Regret for Reported Child Abuse
Christian Brothers Congregation Issues Statement of Apology

DUBLIN, Ireland, MAY 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- After the release of a report denouncing child abuse in Catholic institutions, the primate of Ireland expressed the hope that its publication will help heal wounds and right past wrongs.

Cardinal Sean Brady affirmed this in a statement issued Wednesday, the same day that Irish Supreme Court Justice Sean Ryan presented the 2,600-page report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.

The cardinal's statement, publicized on the Irish bishops' conference Web site, noted that the report "throws light on a dark period of the past."

Cardinal Brady, archbishop of Armagh, affirmed that the "publication of this comprehensive report and analysis is a welcome and important step in establishing the truth, giving justice to victims and ensuring such abuse does not happen again."

He acknowledged that "great wrong and hurt were caused to some of the most vulnerable children in our society," and that the report documents a "shameful catalogue of cruelty: neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse."

The prelate stated: "I am profoundly sorry and deeply ashamed that children suffered in such awful ways in these institutions. Children deserved better and especially from those caring for them in the name of Jesus Christ."

The cardinal expressed the hope that the publication will help to "heal the hurts of victims and to address the wrongs of the past."

"The Catholic Church remains determined to do all that is necessary to make the Church a safe, life-giving and joyful place for children," he affirmed.

Examination

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin released a statement urging "all church organizations involved in this report" to "seriously examine [] how their ideals became debased by systematic abuse."

He underlined the report's recommendations for safeguarding children in the future, saying, "We must find ways of ensuring that the cries and anxieties of children are heard and listened to."

"If we truly regret what happened in the past we must commit ourselves to a very different future," the archbishop affirmed.

Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam responded in another press release from the bishops' conference, stating, "I apologize unreservedly, on behalf of the Church, for our failure to protect children."

He affirmed: "It is good that this report offers the opportunity to many to have their story heard and believed. In this way I hope and pray that healing may come about."

The prelate urged constant vigilance for the safety of children, and emphasized his archdiocese's commitment to this goal.

The Irish agency CiNews reported today that the Christian Brothers congregation issued a statement of apology in response to the report, which directed the majority of the abuse allegations against them.

The congregation apologized "openly and unreservedly to all those who have been hurt either directly or indirectly as a result of the deplorable actions of some brothers, or by the inaction or inappropriate action of the congregation as a whole."

The statement continued: "We are deeply sorry for the hurt caused. We are ashamed and saddened that many who complained of abuse were not listened to.

"We acknowledge and regret that our responses to physical and sexual abuse failed to consider the long-term psychological effects on children."

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Denver Prelate Calls Obama Invitation Inexcusable
Says Catholics Have Duty to Defend Life

DENVER, Colorado, MAY 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Denver had some "hard words" for Notre Dame's president, Father John Jenkins, after last Sunday's commencement.

Archbishop Charles Chaput criticized the university president Monday in a statement posted on the diocesan Web site, denouncing his decision to invite U.S. President Barack Obama to give the address to the school's graduating seniors.

"There was no excuse -- none, except intellectual vanity -- for the university to persist in its course," the prelate said. "And Father Jenkins compounded a bad original decision with evasive and disingenuous explanations to subsequently justify it."

More than 70 U.S. bishops voiced disagreement with the university's decision to invite President Barack Obama as the commencement speaker and bestow on him an honorary law degree. They noted that it went against the 2004 guidelines set by the U.S. bishops' conference for Catholic institutions of higher education, which states that schools should not bestow honors on individuals who "act in defiance" of the Church's fundamental teachings.

"Let's remember that the debate over President Obama's appearance at Notre Dame was never about whether he is a good or bad man," Archbishop Chaput recalled. "The president is clearly a sincere and able man. By his own words, religion has had a major influence in his life.

"We owe him the respect Scripture calls us to show all public officials. We have a duty to pray for his wisdom and for the success of his service to the common good -- insofar as it is guided by right moral reasoning."

The prelate also noted as equally important the duty to defend Catholic teaching on "foundational issues" such as abortion and embryonic stem-cell research.

"And we also have the duty to avoid prostituting our Catholic identity by appeals to phony dialogue that mask an abdication of our moral witness," Archbishop Chaput said. "Notre Dame did not merely invite the president to speak at its commencement. It also conferred an unnecessary and unearned honorary law degree on a man committed to upholding one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in our nation's history: Roe v. Wade."

The archbishop accused Father Jenkins of ignoring the concerns of the local bishop, more than 70 other bishops from around the country, including the president of the U.S. episcopal conference, as well as "thousands of Notre Dame alumni and hundreds of thousands of other American Catholics."

"The most vital thing faithful Catholics can do now is to insist -- by their words, actions and financial support -- that institutions claiming to be 'Catholic' actually live the faith with courage and consistency," the archbishop concluded. "If that happens, Notre Dame's failure may yet do some unintended good."