In February 2005 the people of Derry diocese were startled to hear their bishop, Dr Seamus Hegarty, declare on BBC TV that, without first informing them, he was already diverting 3% of their parish contributions into a national fund - the 'Stewardship Trust' - for compensating victims of clerical child sex abuse in all of Ireland.

This news so outraged the diocese that Derry's priests promptly met and voted to return the money.  They proposed a method of consulting the diocese on the fund, which the bishop then ignored - but most parishes in Derry have still not made any contribution.  The latest rumour is that every diocese is now on its own as far as sex abuse compensation is concerned - which implies that the Stewardship Trust has either been quietly buried or is no longer being used for this purpose.

Journalists reported in March 2005 that the Catholic Communications Office was not answering questions on the matter.

Our position on the Stewardship Trust was that Catholics should look for full accountability - e.g. on whether any priests on whose behalf compensation had been paid were still in service in the diocese, and the sums involved - before contributing.

This remains our position on the issue of compensation generally.  Donations without accountability simply encourage unaccountabililty - the millstone around the neck of the Irish church.

We argue moreover that as diocesan property is strictly the property of the whole church (i.e. laity as well)  every diocesan leadership should audit the property of the diocese and disclose the result in detail to the church - i.e. all the baptised people.  This would allow everyone to decide if and how much to contribute to any compensation fund.

If the Stewardship Trust has now mysteriously passed away, this would be a fitting end to a fund that began just as mysteriously in 1996 - with the collapse of insurance cover taken out by the bishops as early as 1987.  Our document 'A Short History of the Stewardship Trust Fund' - unlocks what is known of this mystery.     

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3.To shape structural change within the Catholic Church.

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