Summary of the Findings of the Apostolic Visitation in Ireland
Now that the Apostolic Visitation to certain Dioceses, Seminaries and Religious Institutes
in Ireland has been concluded, it is intended here, in accordance with what was stated
in the Communiqué of 6 June 2011, to offer an overall synthesis indicating the results
and the future prospects highlighted by the Visitation.
It should be borne
in mind that the Visitation was pastoral in nature; the Holy Father’s intention was
that it should “assist the local Church on her path of renewal” (Pastoral Letter
of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland, 19 March 2010).
It was not intended to replace or supersede the ordinary responsibility of Bishops
and Religious Superiors, nor to interfere “with the ordinary activity of the local
magistrates, nor with the activity of the Commissions of Investigation established
by the Irish Parliament, nor with the work of any legislative authority, which has
competence in the area of prevention of abuse of minors” (Communiqué of the Holy
See Press Office, 12 November 2010).
In communicating this summary of the
Findings of the Apostolic Visitation, the Holy See re-echoes the sense of dismay and
betrayal which the Holy Father expressed in his Letter to the Catholics of Ireland
regarding the sinful and criminal acts that were at the root of this particular crisis.
***** The
Visitation to the Dioceses was carried out in the four Metropolitan Sees during the
first few months of 2011. The four Visitators, accompanied by qualified and authorized
persons and in coordination with the Archbishops of the Sees concerned, met individuals
from the various categories listed in the Communiqué of 12 November 2010, along with
others who requested a hearing, including representatives of the National Board for
Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. Special priority was given to the meetings
with victims of abuse, who were assured of the particular closeness of the Holy Father.
Some of the Archdioceses held very moving penitential liturgies in the Cathedrals,
attended by clergy and members of the faithful, with the participation of victims
of abuse in each case. These four Visitations included meetings with the suffraganeous
Bishops and yielded sufficient information to provide an adequate picture of the situation
of the Church in Ireland, such as to obviate the need to extend the Visitation to
the suffraganeous Sees.
The Visitation to the Seminaries examined the situation
of four Institutes: the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, Saint Malachy’s College
in Belfast, and two Institutes in the Archdiocese of Dublin – the National Seminary,
Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, and the Milltown Institute of the Society of Jesus.
All Hallows College in Dublin informed the Visitator that it no longer offered a programme
of priestly formation and consequently it was not included in the Visitation. Before
visiting each of the Institutes, the Visitator was able to study documentation on
the Colleges concerned. Upon arrival, with the assistance of several Bishops and
priests, all previously approved by the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Visitator
examined, to the extent possible, all aspects of priestly formation, along the lines
indicated in the Press Communiqué of 31 May 2010. The Visitator and his assistants
held individual meetings with formators and seminarians, as well as others holding
positions of authority in the seminaries, including those responsible for the protection
of minors. Priests ordained within the last three years were also invited to a personal
conversation if they so wished. It should be pointed out that the Milltown Institute,
which is more an academic centre than a seminary, was examined only with regard to
the theological formation offered to future priests.
The Visitation to the
Religious Institutes took place after careful study of the responses to the questionnaire
that was sent to all Institutes with Religious houses in Ireland. The questionnaire
sought to elicit information on the current safeguarding measures and policies adopted
by each Institute and the effect of the present crisis on the Institute's members.
The Visitators then held various meetings with Bishops, Superiors and formators of
the different communities and with any particular groups, including abuse victims,
that requested a meeting, as well as representatives of the National Board for Safeguarding
Children in the Catholic Church. Meetings were held with the members of the Conference
of Religious of Ireland, both in the common assemblies and in regional assemblies
throughout the country. The Visitators had the opportunity to conduct extended visits
to 31 Institutes. They estimate that, during the visit, they had the opportunity to
dialogue with a significant portion of Religious in Ireland.
With a view
to promoting the work of renewal called for by the Holy Father, the Congregation for
Bishops and the Congregation for Catholic Education have carefully studied the information
collected by the respective Visitators. Keeping in mind the provisions of the document
Towards Healing and Renewal issued by the Irish Episcopal Conference, they
have communicated their conclusions to the four Metropolitan Archbishops and to the
Ecclesiastical Authorities of the seminaries visited, indicating courses of action.
The Archbishops and the Ecclesiastical Authorities gave their responses. The Congregation
for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life is likewise
forwarding its conclusions to the Superiors of all Institutes of Consecrated Life
and Societies of Apostolic Life with houses in Ireland. A Summary Report will also
be presented to the Apostolic Nuncio to be shared with the Bishops of Ireland.
***** During
their stay in Ireland, the Visitators were able themselves to see just how much the
shortcomings of the past gave rise to an inadequate understanding of and reaction
to the terrible phenomenon of the abuse of minors, not least on the part of various
Bishops and Religious Superiors. With a great sense of pain and shame, it must be
acknowledged that within the Christian community innocent young people were abused
by clerics and Religious to whose care they had been entrusted, while those who should
have exercised vigilance often failed to do so effectively. Indeed, “wounds have
been inflicted on Christ's body” (Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict
XVI to the Catholics of Ireland, 19 March 2010). For these faults, forgiveness
must once more be asked: from God and from the victims! As Blessed John Paul II said:
“there is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the
young” (Address to the Cardinals of the United States, 23 April 2002).
At
the same time the Visitators were able to verify that, beginning in the 1990s, progressive
steps have been taken towards a greater awareness of how serious is the problem of
abuse, both in the Church and society, and how necessary it is to find adequate measures
in response.
The Visitation was also intended to determine whether the structures
and procedures put in place by the Church in Ireland from that period onwards are
adequate to ensure that the tragedy of the abuse of minors will not be repeated.
In this regard, the Holy See has made the following observations:
Particular
attention has been given to the assistance offered by the Church in Ireland to victims
of past abuse. All the Visitators acknowledge that, beginning with the Bishops and
Religious Superiors, much attention and care has been shown to the victims, both in
terms of spiritual and psychological assistance and also from a legal and financial
standpoint. It has been recommended, therefore, that, following the example given
by Pope Benedict XVI in his meetings with victims of abuse, the Irish diocesan authorities
and those of the Religious Institutes continue to devote much time listening to and
receiving victims, providing support for them and their families. Their meetings
with the victims of abuse helped the Visitators to understand better various aspects
of the problem of the sexual abuse of minors that took place in Ireland. The Visitators
and the Church in Ireland are thankful for this contribution and want to assure them
that their well-being is of paramount concern for the Church. In their meetings
with the chief officers of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic
Church and various diocesan officials, the Visitators were able to verify that the
current norms of Safeguarding Children: Standards and Guidance Document for the
Catholic Church in Ireland (Guidelines) are being followed. The Visitators
welcome the process, already initiated by the National Board for Safeguarding Children
in the Catholic Church, of regularly auditing the implementation of the Guidelines.
It is recommended that this process of covering all Dioceses and Religious Institutes
by regular audits will be implemented in a prompt manner. In recent years the
work of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church has been
thorough and far-reaching, for which reason it should be supported by the Bishops,
Religious Superiors and the whole community of the Church in Ireland, and it should
continue to receive sufficient personnel and funding. The Archbishops of the
visited Archdioceses gave assurance that all newly-discovered cases of abuse are promptly
brought before both the competent civil authority and the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith. The norms contained in the Guidelines, as well as the procedures
to implement them, must be updated in accordance with the indications published on
3 May 2011 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and also periodically
revised. The Guidelines need to be amended in order to create a common model
for all the Dioceses and Religious Institutes, and they should be periodically re-examined
in order to ensure increasing effectiveness both in the work of prevention and in
the response to cases of abuse in all the required aspects, for the good of everyone
concerned.
In view of the shortage of personnel trained
in canon law, the Visitators insisted on the need for a reorganization of Ireland’s
ecclesiastical tribunals, to be carried out in cooperation with the competent bodies
of the Holy See, so that the various cases still awaiting definitive resolution can
be adequately processed. The Visitators were struck by the efforts made throughout
the country by Bishops, priests, Religious and lay persons to implement the Guidelines
and to create safe environments. In the four Archdioceses, the results of these
efforts were judged to be excellent. In addition to the large number of volunteers,
they noted the presence of men and women within the various safeguarding structures
who bring the highest level of professionalism to the service of the Christian community.
In the Visitation to the Seminaries, the following elements were
examined: theological doctrine on the priesthood, seminary governance, questions regarding
the admission of candidates to the seminary and assessment of them prior to ordination,
the process of formation (human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral), and possible
ways of assisting recently ordained priests. Particular attention was given to the
admission of candidates and to programmes of spiritual and human formation aimed at
enabling seminarians to live priestly celibacy faithfully and joyfully. The Visitation
to the Seminaries gave priority to issues involving the protection of minors.
In
this regard, the Holy See has made the following observations:
The Visitation
was able to establish that there are dedicated formators in Irish seminaries, committed
to the work of priestly training. The seminarians themselves were generally praised
for their human and spiritual qualities and for their motivation and commitment to
the Church and her mission. Studies are taken seriously, and attention is given to
human and spiritual formation.
Each seminary has clear
child protection norms in place and the Irish seminaries are committed to educating
future priests with a broad understanding of all that is involved in the protection
of minors within the Church.
For the further improvement
of the seminaries, it has been proposed, wherever necessary:
to ensure that the formation provided is rooted in authentic priestly identity,
offering a more systematic preparation for a life of priestly celibacy by maintaining
a proper equilibrium between human, spiritual and ecclesial dimensions; to reinforce
structures of Episcopal governance over the seminaries; to introduce more consistent
admission criteria – this would involve the seminary, in consultation with the Dioceses,
examining and deciding admissibility of candidates; to show greater concern for
the intellectual formation of seminarians, ensuring that it is in full conformity
with the Church’s Magisterium; to include in the academic programme in-depth formation
on matters of child protection, with increased pastoral attention to victims of sexual
abuse and their families; to re-evaluate the pastoral programme, ensuring that
it is sacramental, priestly and apostolic, and duly concerned with preparing candidates
to celebrate the sacraments and to preach; to ensure that the seminary buildings
be exclusively for seminarians of the local Church and those preparing them for the
priesthood, to ensure a well-founded priestly identity.
The task
entrusted by the Holy See to the Visitators to Religious houses was twofold: 1) ensuring
that all Religious Congregations have adequate protocols for safeguarding children
and are implementing them; and 2) encouraging members of Institutes and Societies
to a renewed vitality in their life and mission as Religious or members of Societies
of Apostolic Life. In a spirit of cooperation with the Bishops, clergy and lay faithful
of Ireland, the Superiors and members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies
of Apostolic Life are encouraged to develop the resources at their disposal, so that
they may be better equipped to meet the needs of those still suffering the effects
of abuse. In the light of the immense contribution they have made in the past to
the life of the Church in Ireland and their remarkable missionary outreach across
the world, consecrated persons should renew their commitment to building communities
capable of offering their members mutual support along the path towards holiness and
capable of contributing effectively to the renewal of the entire local Church community.
In
this regard, the Holy See has made the following observations:
The Religious
in Ireland will join Bishops in mutual reflection, planning and support, revitalizing
the instruments of dialogue and communion that have been envisioned by the Magisterium
(cf. Mutuae Relationes). The Bishops themselves will convoke and lead the
process of renewing dialogue and concrete collaboration in the field of safeguarding
children, while also seeking to bring about a more effective and deeper communion
between different and complementary charisms in the local Church.
The Major Superiors of each Institute in Ireland should design a programme
for focusing anew over the next three years on the Institute's fundamental sources,
particularly the following of Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, and contained
in the Apostolic Tradition of the Church’s teaching, the living of their vows in a
contemporary context, and the life, works and charism of the founder of the Institute
(Perfectae Caritatis; Vita Consecrata).
All
Institutes should perform an audit of their personnel files, if such an audit has
not yet been carried out. As in the case of the Dioceses, every Religious Congregation,
active and contemplative, should perform the regular audit monitoring the implementation
of the norms contained in the Guidelines, in coordination with the National
Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church.
Major
Superiors should develop, with the members of their Institutes, concrete means for
revitalizing communities of prayer, community life and mission.
The Religious in Ireland are asked to consider developing a collaborative
ministerial outreach to those suffering from the effects of abuse.
Based
on the proposal of the Visitators and the observations made by various Dicasteries
of the Holy See, it has been recommended that the Bishops of Ireland and Religious
Superiors, in collaboration with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the
Catholic Church, should continue to examine and update the current Interim Guidance
– Leave from Sacred Ministry and Apostolate for Clergy and Religious with a view
to:
Formulating guidelines for handling the varied cases of those who
have been accused, but in whose case the Director of Public Prosecution has decided
not to proceed.
Formulating policies regarding the falsely
accused and their return to ministry.
Formulating policies
regarding the pastoral care of those who are convicted of abuse: the appropriate settings
and the conditions under which such offenders should live.
*****
The
Visitators have been able to establish that, over and above the suffering of the victims,
the painful events of recent years have also opened many wounds within the Irish Catholic
community. Many lay persons have experienced a loss of trust in their Pastors. Many
good priests and Religious have felt unjustly tainted by association with the accused
in the court of public opinion; some have not felt sufficiently defended by their
Bishops and Superiors. Those same Bishops and Superiors have often felt isolated as
they sought to confront the waves of indignation and at times they have found it difficult
to agree on a common line of action.
On the other hand, this time of trial
has also brought to light the continuing vitality of the Irish people’s faith. The
Visitators have noted the exemplary way in which many Bishops, priests and Religious
live out their vocation, the human and spiritual bonds among the faithful at a time
of crisis, the deep faith of many men and women, a remarkable level of lay involvement
in the structures of child protection, and the heartfelt commitment shown by Bishops
and Religious Superiors in their task of serving the Christian community.
These
are just some of the signs of hope that the Visitators have identified, alongside
the various difficulties, in the life of the Church in Ireland. It is vitally important
that, at a point in history marked by rapid cultural and social transformation, all
the components of the Church in Ireland hear in the first place a renewed call to
communion: communion among the Bishops themselves and with the Successor of Peter;
communion between diocesan Bishops and their clergy; communion between Pastors and
lay persons; and communion between diocesan structures and communities of consecrated
life - communion that is not attained merely through human agreements or strategies,
but above all by listening humbly to God’s Word and to what the Holy Spirit gives
and asks of the Church in our day. Only a united Church can be an effective witness
to Christ in the world.
Among the pastoral priorities that have emerged most
strongly is the need for deeper formation in the content of the faith for young people
and adults; a broad and well-planned ongoing theological and spiritual formation for
clergy, Religious and lay faithful; a new focus on the role of the laity, who are
called to be engaged both within the Church and in bearing witness before society,
in accordance with the social teachings of the Church. There is a need to harness
the contribution of the new Ecclesial Movements, in order better to reach the younger
generation and to give renewed enthusiasm to Christian life. A careful review is needed
of the training given to teachers of religion, the Catholic identity of schools and
their relationship with the parishes to which they belong, so as to ensure a sound
and well-balanced education.
Since the Visitators also encountered a certain
tendency, not dominant but nevertheless fairly widespread among priests, Religious
and laity, to hold theological opinions at variance with the teachings of the Magisterium,
this serious situation requires particular attention, directed principally towards
improved theological formation. It must be stressed that dissent from the fundamental
teachings of the Church is not the authentic path towards renewal.
The Visitation
also placed in question the present configuration of Dioceses in Ireland and their
ability to respond adequately to the challenges of the New Evangelization. The Holy
See and the local episcopate have already initiated a joint reflection on this matter,
in which the communities concerned are to be involved, with a view to adapting diocesan
structures to make them better suited to the present-day mission of the Church in
Ireland.
Finally, the Visitation attested to the great need for the Irish
Catholic community to make its voice heard in the media and to establish a proper
relationship with those active in this field, for the sake of making known the truth
of the Gospel and the Church’s life.
*****
For its part, the Holy
See recalls the ongoing importance of the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte,
which proposes an overall vision that can shed useful light on the pastoral priorities
of the Church in Ireland, and on the special attention that must be given to the younger
generation. The forthcoming International Eucharistic Congress will surely represent
an important stage in this process, as will the subsequent National Mission, which
it is hoped will provide all the members of the Church community with a fruitful opportunity
for prayer, common reflection and instruction on the content of the Christian creed,
in harmony with the Holy Father’s vision for the approaching Year of Faith. As Pope
Benedict said in his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland: “Through
intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, the Church in Ireland can make
reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring
the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all Bishops,
priests, Religious and lay faithful.”
In the name of the Holy Father, heartfelt
gratitude must once again be expressed to all those who worked so generously to ensure
a fruitful outcome for the Apostolic Visitation – firstly, to the Visitators and their
assistants, then to the entire Catholic community of Ireland: the lay faithful, including
the various victims of abuse, the Bishops, the clergy and the Religious communities
who have responded so well to this concrete sign of the solicitude of the Successor
of Peter for the future of the Church in Ireland.
Consequently, the Apostolic
Visitation should now be considered completed. The Holy See entrusts its conclusions
to the responsibility of the Bishops, clergy, Religious and lay faithful of Ireland,
in the hope that they will bear fruit worthy of that process of healing, reparation
and renewal which Pope Benedict XVI so eagerly desires for the beloved Church in Ireland.