Today the long awaited "Report of the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin" which covered a period from 1975 to 2004, came to light. It makes a sober reading of the various horrific headlines published here so far, such as "A second priest admitted to using a crucifix to sexually abuse a young girl" and "Two paedophile priests apparently shared their victims, each priest abusing the same vulnerable child."
The government said the investigation "shows clearly that a systemic, calculated perversion of power and trust was visited on helpless and innocent children in the archdiocese....
While most of the Irish people knew that the clergy covered up all these abuses (the initial report came out in early July, but for "legal" reasons the redacted version could not be published till today), it came as a surprise to read that the former police commissioner, a devout Catholic, made inappropriate contact with archdiocese in order to bury the many sexual misconducts of the clergy.
The church was not alone in covering up the sickening catalogue of child abuse by paedophile priests:
Civic authorities in Ireland, especially the police, were also criticised for their cosy relationship with the Church. The report states that senior members of the force regarded priests as being outside their remit and it claims some police officers reported abuse complaints to Church authorities instead of carrying out their own investigation.
The Catholic hierachy in Ireland was given immunity to cover up child sex abuse by paedophile priests for decades.
Four archbishops, obsessed with secrecy and avoiding scandal, protected abusers and reputations at all costs. Hundreds of crimes against defenceless children from the 1960s to the 1990s were not reported, while the Irish police treated clergy as though they were above the law. Four archbishops - John Charles McQuaid who died in 1973, Dermot Ryan who died in 1984, Kevin McNamara who died in 1987, and retired Cardinal Desmond Connell - did not hand over information on abusers.
Another man who knew was disgraced Bishop Brendan Comiskey, a reformed alcoholic who failed to control paedophile priests when in charge of the Ferns Diocese. The inquiry, headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy, said the hierarchy cannot claim they did not know that child sex abuse was a crime.
This is just released as I write:
The Garda Commissioner has apologised for the force's past failures to protect victims of clerical abuse.
Fachtna Murphy said sorry after it emerged that paedophile priests in Dublin were not pursued for their crimes because police officers often viewed Church figures as above the law.
Mr Murphy said the report into the sexual abuse committed in the Dublin Archdiocese over a 40-year period made for "difficult and disturbing reading".
"The Commission has found that, in some cases, because of acts or omissions, individuals who sought assistance did not always receive the level of response or protection which any citizen in trouble is entitled to expect from An Garda Siochana," he said. "I am deeply sorry that this occurred."
The Commissioner said the undue deference which was shown to clergy should have no place in criminal investigations and assured the public that protecting children was a priority for the current day force.
The church announced, under duress, that it will come forward with a fund aimed at some of the victims. To date no amount has been specified.
Here are samples of the most shocking findings:
One priest admitted sexually abusing more than 100 children;
Another accepted he abused on a fortnightly basis during his 25-year ministry; One complaint was made against a priest who later admitted abusing at least six other children; It took gardai 20 years to decide on a prosecution of one priest. The inquiry said it uncovered inappropriate contacts between authorities and the Archdiocese.
"This report makes for deeply shocking reading, even after all that has gone before it," said Colm O'Gorman, Amnesty's executive director in Ireland.
"Bishops in Dublin colluded with child abusers, protecting them and hiding them, enabling them to prey on the innocent. Children were deliberately sacrificed to protect the Church. Dozens of priests and members of the clergy were involved."
There is so much more to this story but I do not have the stomach to write any further than this. It will be reported around the world tonight. All I can say is that it is a dark day for Catholic Ireland.
Cross-posted at the Street Prophets.