Madam, – Christine Buckley,Carmel Mc Donnell-Byrne and Bernadette Fahy ask (March 4th) what planet am I on that I ask for a worldwide study of a worldwide problem of abuse.
In my other-planetary foolishness I believed those Catholics and others – a majority – who treated people honourably must have something to contribute towards solving or lessening the problems of abuse wherever it happens.
Retribution against offenders is underway and will go on; gathering expert knowledge about abuse is limited, but unnecessarily so.
I also believed – foolishly it turns out – that the most lasting reparation a church can make would be to use its considerable resources not only to deal with known abusers but to try to face and remedy abuse in all the places where it occurs. I regret Ms Buckley, Ms Mc Donnell Byrne and Ms Fahy do not share this view, but that need not stop me asking people to consider the suggestion all the same. – Yours, etc,