W2C-013 Sunday Tribune-2.txt
Few clerics answer abuse questionnaire

By David Cronin and Susan McKay

MOST bishops and heads of religious orders refused to co-operate in a survey on paedophile priests conducted over the past two weeks by The Sunday Tribune.

All of the country's 24 archbishops and diocesan bishops and the 40 religious orders were circulated with a questionnaire on this topic. The questionnaire asked if each bishop and head of religious order had ever received a complaint about alleged child sexual abuse against a priest or religious in their diocese/order. It also asked if the Gardai had been informed about any such cases; if the alleged abuser had been transferred to any other position or recommended for a professional position: and if his futures employers were told about the allegations.

Five bishops and six heads of religious orders responded. Of the respondent bishops, Bishop John Kirby of Clonfert said that he had been informed of a case of child sexual abuse, from which criminal proceedings ensued, while a spokesman for Bishop Patrick Walsh of Down and Connor said that a case of a priest charged with indecent assault was currently before the courts. Only one provincial of the religious orders contacted said he knew of an alleged child abuse case involving one of his members. He revealed this only on conditon that neither his name nor that of his order would be published. A reply was received from Fr Kevin Smith, the Norbetrine abbot who resigned last week, saying that his attention had never been drawn to any case of paedophilia in his order, other than that of the jailed priest Fr Brendan Smyth.

Two of the other bishop respondents said that their attention had never been drawn to any such allegations since assuming office. These were the former Bishop of Raphoe Seamus Hegarty, and Bishop John Magee of Limerick, who also said that he had heard of no such allegations in his previous diocese of Cloyne.
