TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has unexpectedly defended the Vatican’s dealings with the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
In a detailed statement to the Dáil, Mr Cowen outlined why the Holy See was not in a position to provide a substantive response to inquiries from the commission.
Responding to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny during Leaders’ Questions, Mr Cowen said the Holy See had acted in good faith by insisting that, as the commission was a body set up by government, all communications to the Vatican state should have been routed through diplomatic channels and in accordance with international law and customs.
Mr Cowen referred to the letter written to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in September 2006 seeking information on all reports of child sexual abuse passed on by the Archdiocese of Dublin.
He said the Holy See had responded by diplomatic note sent to the Irish Embassy, which was passed on to the Department of Foreign Affairs and, later, to the commission. While no more communication took place, the Holy See sought and was given, confirmation that the note’s content was made known to the commission.
“The Vatican made clear . . . that its concern to confirm that the note had been passed on was to avoid any impression that the correspondence from the commission had been ignored. It is not unreasonable to assume the Holy See was open to responding to a further approach through formal diplomatic channels,” said Mr Cowen.
He said that subsequently when the papal nuncio twice received correspondence from the commission, it was not unreasonable to assume that he believed the matter was more properly addressed by the diplomatic note.
“It is regrettable that the failure to acknowledge either letter has given rise to the impression the Holy See was refusing to co-operate with the commission,” he said, adding that its use of diplomatic channels was consistent with international law.
“The commission and the Holy See, it appears, acted in good faith in this matter, even if the best outcome was not achieved,” he said.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the reply confirmed senior figures in the church failed, and in respect of the note, appeared to fail to grasp the urgency of what was at stake, which was the widespread abuse of children.
Later in the Dáil, during the debate on the Murphy report, Mr Cowen described the failure of church authorities to put children first and act decisively against priests who sexually abused children as “immoral, shameful and scandalous”. However, under questioning from Mr Kenny, he said it was a matter for the church and not for the State to deal with bishops implicated in the report.