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There are aspects of Pope Benedict XVI's pastoral letter that we warmly
welcome - especially the recognition that a 'new vision is needed, to
inspire present and future generations' in Ireland. The letter will
hopefully now precipitate a long-delayed conversation among Irish
Catholics - priests, bishops and people together - out of which, with
God's help, such a new vision will emerge.
We welcome the papal recognition of the insights that survivors of abuse
bring to the church and hope that this will inaugurate an intensive
period of listening to them and their families. We welcome his severe
confrontation of those who perpetrated abuse. We welcome also the
direction now given to church leaders to cooperate with civil authority,
and the call for spiritual renewal.
However, the letter's analysis of the causes of the disaster we have
suffered is weakened by a failure to recognise a basic structural
problem in the church. Secularism is blamed for a weakening of faith in
Ireland, but there is no acknowledgement that it was secular agencies
such as the media, the police, the civil courts and the state that
uncovered a problem kept hidden by the church's own systems of
governance. There is no recognition in the pastoral that the
concentration of powers exercised by bishops led to a conflict of
responsibilities, to a culture of secrecy and in too many cases to an
unjust and intimidatory response to victims which compounded their
sufferings.
As it was these secular processes which created the circumstances that
led to the Murphy report - and to this pastoral letter to Ireland - we
find it remarkable that the letter makes no reference to this, and sees
no serious problem with structures of church governance that did not
make church leaders accountable for their actions, or for their failures
to act, until secular agencies stepped in.
Changes are needed to canon law to bring about openness and
accountability in the governance of the church, ridding us finally of
the culture of deference and secrecy that has caused us so much
disgrace, distrust and pain. We regret that the pastoral has missed an
opportunity to acknowledge this need, but hope that greater transparency
and accountability will nevertheless come about as the church continues
to learn.
Knowing that it is part of a long-term process of renewal, we believe
that aspects of this pastoral letter will help that process reach
fruition. We too
'believe deeply in the healing power of [Christ's] self-sacrificing love
- even in the darkest and most hopeless situations - to bring liberation
and the promise of a new beginning'.
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VOTF™
Mission Statement
To provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit,
through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance
and guidance of the Catholic Church.
Our Goals
1. To support
survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
2. To support priests of integrity
3.To shape structural change within the Catholic Church.
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