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BISHOP FRANCIS DUFFY has told communities in the diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois he is “shamed” by the alleged child abuse of their former parish priest, Fr Brendan Hynds, and apologised for it.
Duffy acknowledged recent testimony he had received about the conduct of Hynds, who was parish priest in Cloghan, Co Offaly and before that, Ballymahon, Co Longford.
He died in 1993.
In statements issued at St Mary’s Church in Cloghan, and St Matthew’s Church in Ballymahon in the past week, the Bishop called the priest’s reported behaviour “appalling,” and sought to reassure the congregations.
I have been deeply moved by the accounts of trauma suffered by those affected. I am grateful to them for their courage in coming forward to make their experience known.
The betrayal of the trust of a child is an appalling act; furthermore, it greatly shames me that he used his position as a priest to carry out his abuse.
I sincerely apologise to those individuals, and their families who have been hurt by Fr Hynds. I hope this public recognition of their suffering might be one further step in the on-going journey of personal healing.
I also apologise to you as the parish community he served.
Duffy went to invite anyone with historical concerns about Hynds to contact Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, or the Gardaí.
Finally, I want to reassure you that, at this time, the diocese is in full compliance with the policy and procedures set out by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
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Commendable statement by Bishop Duffy.
A personal apology is not called for though in my opinion.
No man is responsible for the actions of another.
Fr. Brendan Hynds will have to meet his maker some day and be answerable for his despicable actions.
Mercy is one of the qualities of a compassionate God but justice is another.
There’s no escaping God’s justice and although he may have escaped sanction in this life he will have real justice meted out to him in the next.
Let him call on the Pope to apologise to his ‘flock’.
I think it’s about time we call a stop to this religion shite. #banchristianity
“No man is responsible for the actions of another.”
“Fr. Brendan Hynds will have to meet his maker some day and be answerable for his despicable actions.”
If he went to confession every time after he abuses a child he will be grand. Wouldn’t your God forgive him Tommy? Invoke the seal of confession excuse and no man is responsible . Canon law comes before the welfare of children, and the law of the land, where Catholic Church is concerned . And that enables the abuse to start all over again. Good old canon law. You can do what you like and still go to heaven.
there may be no escaping gods justice as you think but the church made dam sure most of the Princes of the church escaped irish justice.
I always take your opinion on matters like Catholic church abuse and ignore it,Tommy.
I wonder how many hundreds of the fookers escaped justice by dying.
There is no god, Tommy. We need not rely on magic and myths, instead we have our own laws and justice. We’ve come a long way but need to stop letting religious people tell us what and how to think, and telling us that their priests somehow deserve a special standing in society. That special standing was why they got away with so much.
The fact that they still have such strong interest in our state schools worries me.
@Niall, have a read back on your comment you buffoon. Ban religion…..but only Christianity eh?? Good man yourself.
F*uck off ps please forgive me
“Fr. Brendan Hynds will have to meet his maker some day”
He died over 20 years ago. How long does it take to get to a mythical place?
“No escaping Gods justice”
It’s a pity this all powerful god couldn’t protect the children from his Minions in the first place.
Who cares what a Bishop has to say about anything? Another virgin in a frock reassuring his ‘flock’. G’way and fcuk off Bishop.
Exactly.
The Bishop seems to accept and acknowledge that the abuse happened which Im sure is very beneficial for the people who have experienced the abuse ….. I do feel however the Bishop could do a lot more for the priests victims ….it’s easy enough to talk the talk when u don’t have to pay the piper so to speak.
Religion is a threat to your moral compass and just a means to cloud the issues we can’t deal with ourselves. Have the magdalene women even been fully compensated?
What prompted this apology 22 years after the guy died?
The bishop is responding to ‘recent testimony’.
Ahh it only took them over 20 years since his death!
Survivors are being abused all over again by the state and religious – the redress fund called “CARANUA” is a fraud and survivors can’t even access the fund. The religious has not handed over the amount of money owed to the survivors and Bertie Ahearn made sure that not “ONE OF THESES RELIGIOUS WOULD BE THOUCHED” THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT GOT MONEY FROM THE REDRESS WAS THE SOLICITORS, BARRISTERS, THE GOVERNEMNT AND RELIGIOUS. THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ABUSED ONLY GOT ABUSED AGAIN. Check out this website for the truth of what’s happening to Survivors. http://theenchantingvalley.ning.com/forum/topics/caranua-threat-by-mary-higgins-unsigned
Hold on the bishop is apologising for alleged child abuse. Does the evidence not prove one way or the other if another child abuser was moved between parishes by one of this predecessors. The priest died in 1993 has enough times passed to make this apology nothing more than a PR stunt to protect those who covered up his actions within the church. What are the gardai supposed to investigate? He hopefully is burning in hell with smyth and the others who were allow to abuse children by the church. Under cannon law has he not already being forgiven for this actions?
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