Fr. Micheal Mernagh.

studiorat

By Ralph Riegel
Thursday January 08 2009

THE priest who completed a nine-day trek over the Church's handling of clerical child abuse allegations last night appealed to Bishop John Magee to "do himself a favour" and step down.

Father Michael Mernagh said he could see no logical way in which the Bishop of Cloyne could now remain at his post.

"I'm afraid his position on this is really untenable," he told the Irish Independent. "I actually believe that he would be doing himself a favour by stepping down."

The 70-year-old priest walked from St Colman's Cathedral in Cork to the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin as an act of Church atonement for how abuse allegations were handled.

I read this in the Indo the other day and was pleased to see the good Fr. finishing in good health.
I applaud Fr. Micheal for taking the bull by the horns as it were and address the way the CC have dealt with the issue of abuse by sticking their heads in the sand. Nuff said.

achtungbarry

As an atheist, I have great admiration for Father Michael. He is one of the few in the clergy of the Catholic Church who has not shown hypocrisy.

The thought that many many bishops knew what was going on for many years and did nothing about the situation, reported nothing to the gardai and simply covered up for the sake keeping the church in the powerful position it once enjoyed is simply shocking and unfathomable.

It is equally shocking that none of these bishops have been charged with aiding a crime.

Well done Father Michael for having some decency and guts.

Fanny Cradock

achtungbarry wrote: »

He is one of the few in the clergy of the Catholic Church who has not shown hypocrisy.

While I don't agree with the sweeping generality of the above quote, one must feel a great deal of admiration of the guy. Fair play!

achtungbarry

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

While I don't agree with the sweeping generality of the above quote, one must feel a great deal of admiration of the guy. Fair play!

Let me clarify. I should have said the "higher ranks of the clergy".

Phototoxin

achtungbarry wrote: »

It is equally shocking that none of these bishops have been charged with aiding a crime.

It is equally shocking that none of these politicans have been charged with aiding a crime.


Fixed it for you... or am i smelling a case of irish double standards ?

LolaDub

To be honest when i heard this man talking, i thought what he was doing was more about his own guilt than addressing a dreadful situation. I would like to hear less of the outrage and more about what is actually being done and what is planned to be done. It is unacceptable for anyone to cover these situations up and everyone needs to know that the church are doing all they can to prevent anything like this from happening again.

MrPudding

Phototoxin wrote: »

It is equally shocking that none of these politicans have been charged with aiding a crime.


Fixed it for you... or am i smelling a case of irish double standards ?

The bishops knew of specific cases where children were being raped by priest and stood by. No actually, that is not true, in a lot of cases they moved the priests to new parishes where they had new unsuspecting victims. How did the polititions aid a crime? Any person that knew what was going on and did not report it should be charged with a crime. As far as I am aware, not reporting the abuse of a child is a criminal offense in Ireland, well, it is in the UK anyway.

So if any politicians knew of cases of abuse and did nothing then as far as I am concerned he or she should be charged, and the same for any gardai that knew what was going on, or anyone else.

But I don't think that any right thinking person could possibly think that a bishop that systematically and knowingly aided and abetted child rapists in hiding their crimes and providing them with fresh unknowing victims is more culpable than a politician that simply knew what was happening and did nothing.

MrP

Portia 27

MrPudding wrote: »

The bishops knew of specific cases where children were being raped by priest and stood by. No actually, that is not true, in a lot of cases they moved the priests to new parishes where they had new unsuspecting victims. How did the polititions aid a crime? Any person that knew what was going on and did not report it should be charged with a crime. As far as I am aware, not reporting the abuse of a child is a criminal offense in Ireland, well, it is in the UK anyway.

So if any politicians knew of cases of abuse and did nothing then as far as I am concerned he or she should be charged, and the same for any gardai that knew what was going on, or anyone else.

But I don't think that any right thinking person could possibly think that a bishop that systematically and knowingly aided and abetted child rapists in hiding their crimes and providing them with fresh unknowing victims is more culpable than a politician that simply knew what was happening and did nothing.

MrP

Oh the Roman Catholic church knew plenty of the abuse of children for years, and when things got too hot, they moved the predator priests onto the UK or Scotland etc.

I know it for a fact in Drogheda- as the Gardai arrived- the priest was already gone the night before.

All done in darkness once again.

Also, there are thousnads of children who were not believed by their parents in the past- and when one did tell, the child got a clip on the ear and told to wash their mouth out.

Our parents LIVED IN FEAR OF THESE BOYS IN DRESSES.

The believed priests could curse them etc.

All religions are run using fear and control.

LolaDub

Portia 27 wrote: »

All religions are run using fear and control.

That is absolute and utter rubbish.

CerebralCortex

LolaDub wrote: »

That is absolute and utter rubbish.

Ya I agree not all of them.

robindch

Portia 27 wrote: »

All religions are run using fear and control.

While some religions certainly do use fear -- that silly "You'll burn if you don't believe this" ad which prompted the highly successful atheist bus campaign is as good an example as any -- I don't believe that there are any religions which use fear alone to exert control.

On-topicly, fair dues to Mernagh for getting up off his tot and making a convincing act of public apology. It would be good to see his superiors leaving their palaces to do something similar and it would be better still to see all concerned co-operate fully with state authorities without having to be pushed all the time.

achtungbarry

Phototoxin wrote: »

It is equally shocking that none of these politicans have been charged with aiding a crime.


Fixed it for you... or am I smelling a case of irish double standards ?

"fixed it for you"....... how very arrogant of you.

Thank you but I have no need for you to "fix" my opinions.

By the way, what double standards are you talking about ? You seem to have plucked that from thin air. I never even mentioned politcians.

If there was a politician or any person who aided the sexual abuse of children by simply turning a blind eye and not reporting these crimes, they should of course be charged with a crime.

sorella

God bless and reward him. He is the one ray of hope... a light shining in the darkness.

Húrin

sorella wrote: »

God bless and reward him. He is the one ray of hope... a light shining in the darkness.

Not the only ray of hope, but yes, I agree with everyone's thumbs up to Fr Mernagh.

CDfm

achtungbarry wrote: »

"fixed it for you"....... how very arrogant of you.

If there was a politician or any person who aided the sexual abuse of children by simply turning a blind eye and not reporting these crimes, they should of course be charged with a crime.

achtungB -but there were politicians, social workers, doctors and public servants from the Dept of Health who knew and did nothing.There were also parents who handed their children over to the Magdelene Sisters.

There has been nothing done to identify or charge these people.

There also were children abused in boarding schools who do not benefit from the compensation funds made available and who were forgotten by the state when they agreed the compensation package.

I can understand where Phototoxin is coming from here but not why you take offence.

CDfm

Portia 27 wrote: »

Oh the Roman Catholic church knew plenty of the abuse of children for years, and when things got too hot, they moved the predator priests onto the UK or Scotland etc.

I know it for a fact in Drogheda- as the Gardai arrived- the priest was already gone the night before.

All done in darkness once again.

Also, there are thousnads of children who were not believed by their parents in the past- and when one did tell, the child got a clip on the ear and told to wash their mouth out.

Our parents LIVED IN FEAR OF THESE BOYS IN DRESSES.

The believed priests could curse them etc.

All religions are run using fear and control.

This kind of post intrigues me -do you have any links we can see to back up your claims about Drogheda

sorella

Fr Mernagh was not making a public apology, but an act of atonement.

As an Augustinian Friar, his superiors are not the Bishops, but the Prior of his Monastic Order.

He faced McGee openly thus in a way few others could do without fear of reprisal from their own Bishop.

See

http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2009/01/archbishop-praises-man-of-principle-as.html

http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2009/01/i-am-symbol-of-hope-for-many-who-were.html

http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-dublin-atonement-now-shock-on.html



On-topicly, fair dues to Mernagh for getting up off his tot and making a convincing act of public apology. It would be good to see his superiors leaving their palaces to do something similar and it would be better still to see all concerned co-operate fully with state authorities without having to be pushed all the time.[/quote]