Director of the One in Four group Colm O'Gorman has criticised a statement issued by the Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, last Wednesday as "most unhelpful."
Dr Buckley's statement followed reports that the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy had declared "null and void, lacking basis in law or in fact" a decision he made to remove one of his priests, Fr James Davern, from ministry because of what the bishop claimed was the priest's psychological infirmity.
The Vatican finding has been described as "reassuring" by the president of the National Conference of Priests of Ireland, Fr John Littleton.
Mr O'Gorman drew attention to "the apparent conflict" in Bishop Buckley's statement over the diocese's awareness that an allegation Fr Davern made, arising from an incident at Farrenferris diocesan college in 1963, was either of physical or sexual abuse. "This lack of clarity is a concern" and "is surprising at this point in time where bishops are concerned, taking into account all that has happened", he said.
In his statement Bishop Buckley said that "a number of years after Fr Davern had ceased ministry, he complained to the gardaí that he was physically assaulted when he was 18 years of age in a school owned by the diocese when he attended the school in the 1960s.
"This allegation was also made by him to the Laffoy commission who did not entertain it.
"This complaint was investigated by the gardaí and Bishop Buckley co-operated fully with this investigation. No prosecution followed. The allegation was fully assessed by the diocese and all related matters considered. Furthermore, after consulting his diocesan advisers and having considered the matter fully, the bishop judged that there was not a credible allegation of child sexual abuse [ my italics].
"The priest accused by Fr Davern remains a priest of the diocese and is in good standing. Like every other citizen, he is entitled to his good name and due process."
Sources confirmed to The Irish Times this weekend that Fr Davern was interviewed in recent months by lawyers for the the Laffoy commission (the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse). It has also emerged that the Garda file on the case remains open.
Meanwhile, the president of the National Conference of Priests of Ireland, Fr John Littleton, has said that "a reassuring aspect of this [the Congregation for the Clergy decision] is that a priest can know at last that his rights will be vindicated by a very serious authority in Rome".
He continued that, where a priest had a difficulty with a bishop, he was "psychologically, always at a disadvantage in the context of the bishop's authority". The congregation's decision in this case meant "a priest can now be assured his rights will be vindicated". He also hoped difficulties between Fr Davern and the bishop "can be worked out between them".
