This was 2003, just after I’d successfully campaigned for Ferns Inquiry, the 1st investigation of clerical abuse in an Irish diocese. The Church fought tooth & nail against its establishment. This attempt to suppress information is no surprise #Stand4Truthirishtimes.com/news/social-af…
We were campaigning for a full inquiry into abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin at the time. The Church was still denying that abuse was commonplace & that it knew about it & had covered it up. It argued that Canon (church) Law was superior to the law of the state. #Stand4Truth
It was also the the same period within which the Vatican asserted diplomatic immunity to block my civil action against the Pope to try force them to reveal what they knew about the priest who had raped me and dozens of other boys. #Stand4Truth
I was 14. Within 6 months of the visit I was raped for 1st time by a Priest who had been ordained despite the Church knowing he was a paedophile. 15 years later I sued Pope JPII to try get the Vatican to tell the truth about what they knew about the priest jrnl.ie/4151688
The priests parishioners complained repeatedly to Bishops about the priests behaviour. They also complained to the Papal Nuncio. The Nuncio responded and told them the Holy See (the Pope) was aware of their concerns. Nothing happened. He kept abusing. For years.
He was only finally removed from ministry when I made a criminal complaint in early 1995. In the meantime he had abused scores of other children. And the church had continued to ignore repeated complaints about his abusive behaviour.