Claudy Bombing and The Catholic Church
According to the BBC the NI Police Ombudsman has finally released his report into the police investigation of the Cluady Bombing of 1972, which killed 9 people. The basic thrust of the report is that a senior RUC Officer approached the Catholic Church and asked them to remove Father Chesney, one of the suspects in the bombing, from Northern Ireland. This was done, compromising the investigation.
Cardinal Brady has said of the report:
""The Church was approached by the secretary of state at the instigation of senior members of the RUC," he said.
"Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the secretary of state the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities.
"The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney."
All well and good - but the report should not be seen as the ringing endorsement that the Cardinal would have us believe.
The Church colluded in moving a man they believed to be a mass murderer out of the legal jurisdiction in which his crimes were committed.
They kept silent about the acts of Father Chesney as long as they could.
They could have at least defrocked him, but instead let a murderer tend to the flocks they sent him to guide.
The Church should not find any solace in this report - and take the people of Ireland to be fools if they attempt to do so.
I wonder what the long term consequences of the Church handing a defrocked Father Chesney over to the police would have been? I cannot believe it would have been all bad - and may have established some trust of the Church and its establishment in areas of Northern Ireland where mistrust of Catholics and their church were deep-rooted.
Cardinal Brady has said of the report:
""The Church was approached by the secretary of state at the instigation of senior members of the RUC," he said.
"Furthermore, the Church subsequently reported back to the secretary of state the outcome of its questioning of Fr Chesney into his alleged activities.
"The actions of Cardinal Conway or any other Church authority did not prevent the possibility of future arrest and questioning of Fr Chesney."
All well and good - but the report should not be seen as the ringing endorsement that the Cardinal would have us believe.
The Church colluded in moving a man they believed to be a mass murderer out of the legal jurisdiction in which his crimes were committed.
They kept silent about the acts of Father Chesney as long as they could.
They could have at least defrocked him, but instead let a murderer tend to the flocks they sent him to guide.
The Church should not find any solace in this report - and take the people of Ireland to be fools if they attempt to do so.
I wonder what the long term consequences of the Church handing a defrocked Father Chesney over to the police would have been? I cannot believe it would have been all bad - and may have established some trust of the Church and its establishment in areas of Northern Ireland where mistrust of Catholics and their church were deep-rooted.