Pope's Letter Published

[cooperation]

I started to read the pope's letter expecting little more than the usual evasion we've got from his organisation. I wasn't expecting to be offended as I was. I'll give a link to my views, as this site has a swear filter.
The Catholics of Ireland Have Got Mail. John Moynes :: stupidity made simple

A good summary.

[Didimus]

A good summary.

Stupidity made simple.
Certainly does what it says on the pack.
Pity the Daily Mail isn't looking for a, ahem, media savvy left-winger.
Has got the tone and attention to detail just right.

[sondagefaux]

Very few people outside of the church and the usual apologists have accepted the letter as adequate.

Here's what a church insider said about the letter.

Fr D’Arcy said the anticipated letter to the Irish church from the pope could suffer the same fate as the visit to Rome by the bishops last month. “I wouldn’t look to Rome for the answer, I would look more to Rome for the situation of where the problem is.”

He predicted the pope would say nothing today about how the issue “was handled by men who should have known better. He will do nothing about the systemic failure, I suspect.”

FT.com / Europe - Pope apologises over abuse scandal

Looks like his suspicions were correct.

[Victor Meldrew]

Joesph Ratzinger (sorry, but I'm demoting him till he acts like a Pope), has told us that this is our (Irish Catholics) problem and that we should seek the power to forgive through prayer. Those that were wronged were wronged first by the rapists an then by the church that protected the rapist by threatening the victims. Joe R. now heads that church.

This is analogous to a rapist suggesting how his victim should get over it with a few walks along the beach and counselling. It's grotesque and further removes his moral authority.

I took Archbishop Martin's comments on the news to be as critical of the Pope and the vatican as they could be.

This letter has just made a bad situation worse.

Where is humility in all this?

[SirHenryGrattan]

Pope's letter doesn't go far enough although writing style of the letter was surprising which i didn't expect.

I think that is the general consensus. The apology is there but not an admission to a deliberate cover up.

[sondagefaux]

You said an insider. Fr D'Arcy has been an outsider for a long time.

Pity. A few more like him and the church hierarchy might not be as arrogant and uncaring.

[Almanac]

I approached this letter with low expectations and a large dose of scepticism.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.

I am struck by the fact that no Irish bishop has been capable of writing a similar letter in recent years, especially following the Ryan and Murphy Reports. Much as I admired and supported Archbishop Martin's clear stance on Prime Time and in other television interviews, I think many decent lay people and clergy in Dublin were left feeling somewhat battered and bewildered, with no sense that the Archbishop was offering a way forward.

The section directed to the priests and religious who abused children is necessarily hard-hitting and blunt:




Similarly, he doesn't hold back in his strong criticism of Bishops:




His decision to initiate a review of some dioceses, seminaries and religious congregations by non-Irish Church authorities is a welcome response to the obvious fact that the Irish Catholic Church is incapable of reforming itself without such outside intervention.

I found the section address to young people particularly poignant:



Indeed, some of those parents cheered John Paul II at the mass in Galway back in 1979, with Eamon Casey and Michael Cleary as chief cheerleaders! No wonder that generation turned cynical and bitter!!

A 20-page letter couldn't possibly say everything that needs to be said. Anyhow, I think most people are tired of mere words, and want to see some effective action. For the first time since the long saga of the child abuse scandals began almost 20 years ago, I feel somewhat hopeful that important steps are now being taken to address some of the key issues.

+ 1

[fool]

I think that is the general consensus. The apology is there but not an admission to a deliberate cover up.

Then there's no apology. Just a statement of regret that bad things happened.

[Almanac]

The New York Times piece is not at all kind to Benedict.

No surprise there. The NYT is vehemently anti-Catholic across the spectrum.

[Almanac]

Pity. A few more like him and the church hierarchy might not be as arrogant and uncaring.

Oh he's not excluded in any way. He just holds views incompatible with the Catholic Faith.