Canadian
archbishops to lead probe in Ireland
By Deborah Gyapong
Canadian
Catholic News
OTTAWA (CCN) — Two Canadian archbishops have been asked to join
the Apostolic Visitation to Ireland.
“It’s a common
practice when there is a problem or a struggle or a difficult of any
kind for the Holy See to have a visitation,” said Toronto Archbishop
Thomas Collins.
He will join Ottawa Archbishop
Terrence Prendergast, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston and Cardinal
Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster in
the United Kingdom.
Each has been assigned an
Irish archdiocese to contribute to spiritual and moral renewal already
underway in the Irish church, according to a May 31 Holy See news release
announcing the appointments.
Ireland has been reeling
since two investigations revealed not only widespread abuse by priests
and religious but a failure on the part of Irish bishops to proactively
deal with the problem. Pope Benedict apologized to the Irish faithful
in a March 20 letter, in which he announced a visitation would take
place.
“Through this visitation,
the Holy See intends to offer assistance to the bishops, clergy, religious
and lay faithful as they seek to respond adequately to the situation
caused by the tragic cases of abuse perpetrated by priests and religious
upon minors,” said the release.
“It’s done in
a spirit of co-operation, of openness,” said Collins. The goal
is to bring in someone from the outside, to provide fresh eyes and ears
so the new perspective can be of assistance, he added. Visitations go
on all the time, whether it is for the accreditation of a hospital or
university, or to help religious movements. “It’s all very
future-oriented,” he said. Any examination of the past difficulty
is meant to help find a proper approach. “We can all benefit from
that.”
“I would hope that
would be one of the outcomes of a visitation is that the people would
be encouraged,” said Prendergast. “That’s how I see
my ministry as a bishop is to encourage, and not to get in the way of
the Holy Spirit.”
O’Malley has had first-hand
experience in helping the Boston archdiocese heal after a sexual abuse
crisis there exploded in 2002. Collins and Prendergast hope they can
bring some of the experience the Canadian church has had in dealing
with sexual abuse crises from Indian Residential Schools, Mount Cashel
and other scandals over the last two decades.
“We’ve gone through
some of the dark days, and we’ve come through and the Lord has
blessed us,” said Prendergast. “We still have struggles;
we still have work to do, but we’re hopeful.”
He said he hopes he can bring
a positive, healing message. “I think they have the spiritual
resources themselves, and perhaps they can’t see them,”
he said. “I think maybe someone from outside can say, even if
you have struggles and difficulties, you have a lot going for you.”
Both Collins and Prendergast
say they are honoured by the request, though neither knows exactly what
it will entail. Prendergast said he will work with at least one other
person, in a team approach.
Collins pointed out all the
visitors are of Irish extraction, though living outside of Ireland.
He will visit the Cashel and Emly archdiocese.
“I thought it was a
great privilege to help the country where my forebears come from,”
said Prendergast, who has been assigned the Tuam archdiocese.
New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan has also been named as a visitor to review the process of priestly formation in Irish seminaries.
 |
|