I have watched this weeks developments in the Catholic Priest child abuse saga with some interest.
I was quite amazed at
the comments of Monsignor Maurice Dooley earlier this week - his views are simply outrageous and are absolutely unacceptable.
However, The Popes letter to Irish Catholics is a welcome development - to a point.
At least The Vatican has attempted to acknowledge that a problem of sexual abuse of children by some members of it's clergy has taken place.
However does the letter go far enough?
Catholics may wish to ask why the letter doesn't address the systematic attempt by the church to organise a cover up of the whole appalling and far reaching situation.
They may wish to ask why in the late 1980's the church was taking out insurance cover against future court cases / financial claims against it, whilst at the same time denying there was a problem!
I feel that the Catholic Church has a very long way to go before it will be able to draw a veil over this tragic and horribly mismanaged part of its history.
