The letter below appears in the current issue of The Tablet.
A story of the importance of money and lack of compassion that is so often evident in the church.
Fr Hazelwood is a priest of the diocese of Cloyne. The Catholic diocese includes east and north Cork. It includes the towns of Mallow, Youghal, Cobh and Macroom. The current bishop is Billy Crean.
The authors of the article, “Safeguarding with compassion” (1 February), do not address the treatment of the accused in safeguarding practice.
Some have been found guilty by the civil courts, others have been found not guilty but then tried in canonical courts, while others for a variety of reasons have never faced any inquiry but are kept out of ministry by their superiors.
There is a whole group of men who because of a lack of any process are in limbo, beholden to their diocese or order for a place to live and an income.
They are the forgotten.
I believe it is because of the “fear of litigation and insurance claims” mentioned by the authors that institutions feel it is better to keep them out of ministry.
In Ireland all areas of safeguarding are audited except Standard 4 which deals with the person accused. We in the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland offer support and are finding more and more inquiries from England where no priests’ group exists.
A story of the importance of money and lack of compassion that is so often evident in the church.
Fr Hazelwood is a priest of the diocese of Cloyne. The Catholic diocese includes east and north Cork. It includes the towns of Mallow, Youghal, Cobh and Macroom. The current bishop is Billy Crean.
The authors of the article, “Safeguarding with compassion” (1 February), do not address the treatment of the accused in safeguarding practice.
Some have been found guilty by the civil courts, others have been found not guilty but then tried in canonical courts, while others for a variety of reasons have never faced any inquiry but are kept out of ministry by their superiors.
There is a whole group of men who because of a lack of any process are in limbo, beholden to their diocese or order for a place to live and an income.
They are the forgotten.
I believe it is because of the “fear of litigation and insurance claims” mentioned by the authors that institutions feel it is better to keep them out of ministry.
In Ireland all areas of safeguarding are audited except Standard 4 which deals with the person accused. We in the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland offer support and are finding more and more inquiries from England where no priests’ group exists.
In my experience of dealing with safeguarding authorities, when a false allegation was made against me I experienced bullying tactics, was lied to and did not receive support when I tried to clear my name.
Surely if we speak about compassion it should apply to all.
(FR) TIM HAZELWOOD
KILLEAGH, COUNTY CORK
Surely if we speak about compassion it should apply to all.
(FR) TIM HAZELWOOD
KILLEAGH, COUNTY CORK
2 comments:
Do you think any bishop actually cares?
Oh, no doubt there are some good bishops as there are caring people in every organisation. But yes, there is something extraordinarily dysfunctional in ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church.
Is it that there are no line managers? And then the crass inefficiency and all the wasted money and resources. The bullying too. The pomposity and piousity - the great cover-up.
A great book to be written.
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