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POPE FRANCIS WILL convene an extraordinary summit in the Vatican today on the Catholic Church’s response to child sexual abuse.
Amid recent revelations of abuse in countries like Ireland, the USA, Chile and Australia the head of every bishops’ conference has been called to the Papal state to attend this four-day summit.
180 participants, including the presidents of 113 bishop conferences from around the world, are expected to travel to Rome.
Archbishop Eamon Martin is attending the summit as president of the Irish Episcopal Conference and has met with survivors ahead of his trip to Rome.
Martin also recently published an open letter to Irish Catholics in which he sought their feedback on how they felt about the issue about clerical sex abuse.
In the open letter, Martin acknowledged that there had been “a lack of adequate response by the Church in dealing with child sexual abuse”.
It’s as yet unclear what exactly will be discussed at the Rome summit but for Irish survivors like Bernadette Howell, the Catholic Church must implement a clear “zero tolerance” church policy towards clerical abuse of any kind.
“But also, a zero tolerance for the cover-ups that are happening,” Howell told TheJournal.ie, a representative of Ending Clergy Abuse, a global alliance which has travelled to Rome for the four-day summit.
“There needs to proper definitions of what [child sexual abuse] is. That also needs to be written into Canon Law so that it becomes part of church law, too,” says Howell, who echoes fellow survivor Marie Collins’ call for clear definitions and universal safeguarding measures for children.
‘Safeguarding measures’
Of the Rome summit itself, The Vatican has said that it is being organised to give bishops “concrete guidelines for preventing and reporting abuse”.
As the summit gets underway, however, doubts remain about how willing members of the clergy are to effect change.
Yesterday, two US cardinals criticised Pope Francis’ approach to the clerical sexual abuse scandal, saying that ”abuse of power” was not to blame but homosexuality.
Meanwhile, Anne Barret Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, has complained of a “disconnect” between Pope Francis’ strong statements and the pontiff’s actions.
Her non-governmental organisation, as part of ECA, is taking part in a counter-summit of victims in Rome alongside the Vatican summit.
Irish survivor Collins is clear on what she wants to see emerge from the Rome summit: clear definition of what constitutes sexual abuse of a minor and a clear definition of the term “zero tolerance”.
“The meaning of ‘zero tolerance’ is taken by the laity to mean that any member of the clergy found to be guilty of abusing a minor will be removed from the clerical state,” Collins has said. “However, those church leaders who give it any attention argue about what level of abuse is acceptable before zero tolerance is applied while others ignore it.”
Like Howell, Collins has called on the Catholic Church to address the vagueness and ambiguity in these two areas by considering an updating of Canon Law.
Speaking to bishops from different countries, Collins has said there “that there are huge variations in their understanding of these terms”.
Furthermore, Collins has called for a universal safeguarding measures across the Catholic Church to protect minors.
Ahead of the Rome summit, the ECA has called on the church to address child sexual abuse in the church not just as a parochial problem, but a global one.
The alliance is also calling for the expansion of international, national and local criminal justice investigations along with reforms of sexual abuse civil laws.
‘Air of complacency’
For some Irish survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of the church, however, the four-day summit in Rome means little.
“Many survivors are angry at the Church,” says Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four, an organisation that helps sexual abuse survivors.
“They wouldn’t want anything to do with it. All they would want is to ensure that other children are safe and that the same mistakes are not made again here or anywhere else in the world.”
“I’d say there’s a weariness amongst survivors as to any expectation of real change”.
While progress has been made to address clerical abuse within the Dublin diocese of the Irish Catholic Church, says Lewis, ”I fear that an air of complacency is setting in” elsewhere in Ireland.
Of the Vatican summit, Lewis says that only when civil authorities become involved does the truth emerge surrounding sexual abuse within the church.
“The Vatican has never really grappled with the fact that it’s an international organisation either,” Lewis has said. “It has relied on local churches to put in place good child safeguarding practices, including mandatory reporting.”
Lewis has said her biggest concern lies with the developing world where “the church is actually growing unlike in the Western World, where priests and bishops maintain the same unquestioning status that they had here 40 years ago”.
Unless mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse is implemented by the Vatican, “I really feel like we won’t be any further,” she added.
Howell of ECA has said that, ahead of the summit, she is not confident change will be effected. “I’m trying to be hopeful but I have to admit I’m quite skeptical.”
- With reporting by © – AFP 2019
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It would also be good if the government overhauled how it’s taught in our schools so people could learn how to speak it properly.
@johnbunton: Too right! Irish should be taught the same way as French or German, for example. Prose and poetry should be made optional for those who want to do it and these should be done in separate classes. Knowledge of the language should be prioritised first and foremost.
@johnbunton: it has been. 40% oral.
@Ken Loughman: I’m a fluent speaker and got top marks in LC Irish and I completely agree. Seperate language and literature papers, leave language as compulsory and have literature as an option. It’s hardly fair to those who struggle (either with languages in general or specifically with Irish) to be expected to have an in depth knowledge of the poems, plays etc if they’re finding it hard to grasp the actual language itself. Plus it’ll also benefit those who do have strong Irish as they’ll have another optional subject they can be confident in.
@Frainc Ó Broin: it’s still not enough in my opinion. Students all across Europe students are fluent in at least two languages. We start learning Irish at the age of 5 and stop at age of 17 or 18 and most people still don’t have a clue outside the set oral spiel we all have to give. There’s something very wrong with the system when you could get an A or B in higher level Irish and not be a fluent speaker at the end of it.
@Ebony: I based my comment on my own experience in secondary school. While I enjoyed learning the grammar I hated the prose and poetry. It serves absolutely no purpose for everyday situations in the 21st Century.
I should add that one of my great-grandmothers from Mayo was a native speaker and my Dad was fluent when he was younger. I regret not being fluent myself considering those connections to the language in my family. Still, there’s always Duolingo…
@Ken Loughman: It’s miles better than it was, at least at primary level. At least I think it is. My 7yo regularly comes out with a long mellifluous spiel, most of which I don’t understand.
@Ken Loughman: And how well do most Irish school leavers speak French or German ? Would a monolingual native speaker understand them or vv?
@Gearóid ÓCiaráin: Well, I speak both pretty well. I can guarantee you that school leavers who did French or German have a better chance of being able to use them in everyday situations than they would with Irish. That’s the whole problem with how Irish is being taught.
@johnbunton: it’s not how it’s taught – it’s whether or not people want to learn it – unfortunately most people don’t
@johnbunton: I think it’s also a matter of exposure. Any non-native English speakers who are fluent in English grew up watching the same films and listening to the same music as us – all in English!
@johnbunton: let’s gets teachers that engage with teachers first. My own personal experience is no interaction and Peig.
@Ken Loughman: very true im a fluent irish speaker and definitely the time spent learning poetry etc be better spent actually learning the language u don’t do french poetry or german to learn them
@johnbunton: what’s wrong with a big stick
@Thomas Harrington:I would argue that the way Irish is being taught, i.e. having to do prose and poetry at the same time instead of concentrating on the language itself, is one of the reasons why people don’t want to learn it.
The Clondalkin Irish scene is vibrant thanks in part to great work by those who established Aras Chronain. It’s worth a visit even if all you order is a Pionta, le do thol
Faoi dheireadh Caithfidh muid a bheith dóchasach go dtarlóidh sé mar a deireann siad
@Séan Ó Nuanáin: i hope to at some point be that good at irish like you. Started a course to get myself back to a decent level of irish again as i was quiet good at it in school. It all starts coming back to me the more im at it.
@shellakybooky: maybe you should start learning English first so you can be quite good at Irish.
#PrayForArlene
Irish was a complete waste of time in my secondary school. We did double Irish classes just to pass an exam but never learned how to really speak or understand real Irish
@Stipe Miocic: its sad isn’t it? I could start quoting Irish poetry to you but I haven’t a clue how to go about ordering a meal in a restaurant, buying cinema tickets etc in Irish. these are basic things you learn when you start learning another language so you feel confident speaking it. because of Polish friends who don’t treat me as an inferior species because I can’t speak the language I can speak more Polish than Irish &quite happily use it in Poland/ with Poles
@Stipe Miocic: and the fault lies with?
Arlene, will choke on her cornflakes.
Welcome to the the 21st century, where personal choice is welcomed, now to LGBT equality/rights
This entire sham is put into perspective when areas such as Clondalkin and Ennis are included.
@Adam Reid: Clondalkin has a thriving Gaelscoil. The area has a deep cultural interest and is steeped in history. The round tower garden was recently renovated and there’s a good buzz about the village. No better place to enthuse people of all ages to get involved in learning, or relearning their native language…. And of course they have Eoin Ó Broin and Lyn Boylan who do Trojan work in and for the area.
@Paul Linehan: Clondalkin has a chip shop; how many residents eat chips there?
@Adam Reid: Clondalkin also has Indian, Pizza and Chinese takeaways…. So I’m going to presume that they have choices!!!
Is fuath liom Gaeilge. D’fhéach fir brónach i gúnaí dubh a ghlac pléisiúr orthu siúd a bhí ag obair go rialta ag daoine nach bhfuaimnigh Éire mar a cheap siad gur chóir é a labhairt.
So what did we need an Irish Language Act for if we can just do this?
Seems almost like someone was trying to be antagonistic, when this could be sorted out in such a more graceful manner.
@alphanautica: Some people may have become addicted to drama, publicity and ‘historic moments’.
So, incremental progress can be made through common sense.
Surely better than an all-or-nothing stand-off between massive tribal egos.
Do the DUP know this. ??
Proud to be Irish but Irish isn’t good for business……just saying
Stupid language
@Gearoid De Burca: Yes, English is a stupid language with everything backwards in comparison to rich languages like Irish.
@eastsmer: Irish speaking areas are full of people born with a sod of turf in their mouth.
@Gearoid De Burca: from the sounds of things, you were born with a sod of sh**e in yours.
@Gearoid De Burca: Hi Arlene!
@Gearoid De Burca: Coming from a person with an Irish name!
@Gearoid De Burca: Anyone who calls a language, any language, stupid is an ignoramus.
@Gearoid De Burca: you’re not much better obviously…..
@Leadóg: I just called it stupid
@Gearoid De Burca: With a name like yours..???
What planet are you on..
@Gearoid De Burca: At least its Irish turf.
@Gearoid De Burca: bitter that you were sh!te at Irish in school eh, Gerry Burke?
@Laura: You bite… You eat the same shite. So just grin with a wide one and except you’ve improved by at least on the higher intelligence ladder!!!
G
An Ghaeltacht should be a place where ”Native” Gaeilge is spoken or else change it to Gaeltacht Dhúchasach for example. Places like those mentioned in the article above could then use An Ghaeltacht.
Difference according to the article is that it covers only a handful of Gaeltacht areas and doesn’t supply any funding. ILA (I think) covers all areas with majority Irish populations and restores some funding that was previously cut.
have your say