The refusal by the Vatican to accept the resignation of 2 bishops named in the Murphy Report is likely to intensify protests by abuse groups at the Popes visit to Scotland, England and Wales next month
Bishop Raymond Field and Bishop Eamonn Walsh tendered their resignations late last year after the publication of damning report into cover-ups of paedophile clerics in Ireland.
The Vatican rebuff is also likely to have dealt a heavy blow to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin who lead the Catholic Church here through the child abuse scandals.
Founder of ‘One in Four’ Colm O’Gorman says it shows the culture of concealment prevails.
“What we now have is the report carried out – a State investigation, a State inquiry, a judicial inquiry in this country – that…has found that there was wilful mishandling of cases involving the rape and abuse of hundreds of children in the archdiocese of Dublin” he said.
“And nobody has really been held accountable in any significant way within the Catholic Church hierarchy by the Catholic Church – that’s quite extraordinary” he added.
