A Stick to beat the Cardinal with...

The latest Church news in Ireland is a continuation of the ongoing controversy regarding the involvement of Cardinal Sean Brady - then part-time secretary to the Bishop of Kilmore - in the Church investigation into the actions of the now-notorious child abuser Fr Brendan Smyth. This article from the Irish Times gives a summary of the contents of a televison programme which brings to light further detail of how the investigation was conducted in 1975.
In particular, the programme makes it known that in addition to hearing the experiences of some children who were abused by Smyth, Fr Brady also received information from them about other children who were victims of Smyth. The program claims - and I see very little reason to doubt this - that this information was not used to warn either the parents of these children or the civil authorities, and therefore the abuse continued.
 By any standard, the neglect and incompetence of Church authorities in deal with Fr Smyth are self-evident and appalling. The fact that Smyth ever had access to vulnerable children after Church authorities became aware of his abuse is inexcusable. With the benefit of hindsight, it's clear that he should have been reported to the civil authorities as well. As we know, that was not often done in those days - sometimes out of a desire to protect the image of the Church, sometimes out of the belief that the Church had the primary responsibility for dealing with the issue, sometimes out of a concern that it would not serve the welfare of victims to go down the criminal route. However, even if the Church authorities at the time made the mistaken decision that they should be primarily responsible for dealing with Smyth and protecting vulnerable children, it is evident that Fr Smyth's superiors proved inexcusably negligent in the responsibility they assumed. Those who suffered because of this failure have every right to bring the truth to light and have every justification to be as angry as hell with anyone associated with this failure. At the very least, the mishandling of Fr Smyth was sinfully negligent.
However, there is also a duty on us to look at what happened seriously and forensically. Because of his involvement in the investigation, the demand has been made of Cardinal Brady that he resign as Archbishop of Armagh. The case is made that he heard the accounts of abuse, that he received the names and addresses of those who had been abused and that therefore he should have made a report to the civil authorities and stopped the abuse there and then. I have no doubt but that Cardinal Brady - and pretty much everyone in Ireland - wishes that he had done so.
Given what we have seen about how abuse cases were mishandled within the Irish Church, I know for a fact that if I was even tangentially involved in a Church investigation into a child protection issue, I would be documenting everything and checking & double-checking that the civil authorities had been notified. I wouldn't want any error to lead to the harm of young people. I'd be chasing, chasing, chasing everyone else involved to ensure that things were handled properly. (To be frank, I'd also be half-terrified of landing myself into trouble if everything wasn't done correctly.) However, if I didn't have benefit of hindsight, if I didn't know how badly things were done in the past, I wouldn't be so scrupulous and suspicious in my approach. And that's the situation that Fr Brady found himself in. He conducted the interviews according to the best of his ability and reported everything to Bishop McKiernan in the expectation that Fr Smyth would be dealt with properly. Indeed, his only link to this case is the fact that he was asked by his bishop to take those witness statements. He only became aware of Fr Smyth's abusing ways because his bishop involved him in the investigation. Fr Brady's error was that he assumed that the investigation - and in particular Bishop McKiernan and Fr Smyth's superior - would deal with the case properly and ensure that Smyth was locked away. That didn't happen. Smyth was able to abuse again and untold damage has been done to the lives of innocent people.
And, yes, things could have happened differently if Fr Brady had made a report to the civil authorities. However, the question must be asked whether Fr Brady could have had the extraordinary foresight to mistrust his Bishop and mistrust the Church investigation which would have led to him making that report.
In my opinion, it's not reasonable to expect Fr Brady to have made that decision. So, it is right to examine this sorry case. It is right to question Cardinal Brady's role in it. It is a sacred duty to respect and honour the voices of Fr Smyth's victims. However, I cannot bring myself to conclude that it is reasonable to demand Cardinal Brady's resignation. Many in the media and public life are using the pain of child abuse victims as a stick to beat the Cardinal with.

On the Dublin Report

I'm not sure what can fittingly be said about the Dublin Report. I guess that I'd suggest reading the report itself rather than relying on media accounts or analysis. It's a fair report. It lays blame justly without having an axe to grind. The details of the abuse - and the realisation that much of it could have been prevented had senior clergymen acted decisively and with spine is sickening.
A Humbler Church?
There have been calls for a 'humbler' Church. I'm a young man. I don't have any real memory of a time when the Church 'ran' everything in society, so some of those calls don't make a whole lot of sense to me. They seem to be aimed at the realities of an Ireland which is almost dead. Likewise, the cliché of rich senior prelates living the high-life and a culture of unquestioning obedience doesn't really relate to anything I've seen in modern Ireland. Yes, our Bishops may live in historic buildings, but the few bishops I know live very modestly behind those walls. I freely admit that no priest in Ireland is going to be living on the breadline, but many of the priests I know gave up very prestigious careers and livelihoods in the secular arena for a life which pays significantly less and brings its own demands and pressures. They're not asking applause for that. However, I think that they do, however, deserve the presumption of sincerity.
Whose humility?
If there needs to be a humbler Church, it seems to me that we need to strive for a holy humility. It sometimes seems to me that when people talk about a 'humbler Church', they really mean a Church who doesn't really believe in anything any more and a faith which doesn't make any moral demands. I sometimes suspect that what is being asked for is a Church which dispenses spirituality, affirmation and pretty ceremonies without upsetting anyone by actually preaching the Gospel. That's not the kind of humility we need. Reading about the abuse, one has to wonder whether the men who did had any kind of belief in Christ or judgement or perdition or charity or kindness?
I think we need to look towards the holy and zealous humility of St Francis of Assisi and St John Vianney. We clergy have a particular responsibility within the Church. We need to be humble before the teaching of the Church and do our best to teach it by word and example. We need to believe and preach more fervently. We need to cleave more firmly to the Truth who is Christ. Our humility can't be a going quietly into the night, but a growing submission to the demands of our priesthood. "Holiness rather than peace, " as Newman used to say. The unholiness uncovered by the Dublin Report can only be atoned for by a holy humility. That holy humility must also include a burning zeal for justice. The laxity which led senior clerics to hurt so many people by not dealing firmly and aggressively with abuse can never be repeated. We mustn't be afraid to hold ourselves to the highest standards of probity in all matters. We should not resent the idea of bishops having a bit of spine in dealing with priests who step out of line.
Continuing to be a Priest
Despite the report, I'm still happy to be a priest. Indeed, because it's a fair and just report, I'm somewhat relieved that it's finally out there. Anyone who's been following the news for the past few years would have known what kind of horrors were going to be published, and no one within the Church can object to an uncovering of the truth an a fair judgement. Having read the report, I know that what's in it has made it much more difficult to be a priest in Ireland. However, it's also made it so very clear how much the Church and the World need Christ. He is the only one who can bring healing, reconciliation, liberation and salvation. If I didn't believe that, I'd be as well off hanging up my collar. That's not to say that I can proffer Him as an easy answer. Using Him as a glib slogan is not an option. That path toward healing isn't going to be an easy one for our society and it's not at all clear how it's going to come about. It's going to place huge demands on all sincere Catholics, and on clergy in particular. There may be times when it may seem as though the game mightn't be worth the candle, but as we approach the end of one Church year and face into the hopeful penitence of Advent, we should remind ourselves that He is with us always, even until the end of time.

(Incidentally, Seraphic posts with her usual common sense and compassion.)