Pope Puts On His Investigating Hat

(Trigger warning for sexual abuse of children)

Following up on a statement made in a pastoral letter he sent to Irish Catholics in March, the pope has appointed the archbishops of Boston, New York, Toronto, and Ottawa to begin an Apostolic Visitation in Ireland, in a further effort to contain "explore questions surrounding" a furious scandal in that country which erupted on publication by the Irish government of two reports documenting widespread physical and sexual abuse of children in the care of the Church, as well as decades of cover-ups of abuse by both the church and Irish police.

Protocol will be maintained. To investigate the Archdiocese of Armagh, the seat of All-Ireland primate Cardinal Sean Brady, the pope has appointed a fellow Cardinal, Cormac Murphy-O'connor. It would not do to have the work of a Cardinal investigated by someone of lesser rank, even that of a Cardinal whose resignation is being called for because of his participation in a church investigation of an abuse case in 1975 "in which two children were forced to sign secrecy oaths."

The U.S. and Canadian Archbishops will lead investigations in three other dioceses, as well as one into Ireland's seminaries. In addition, religious orders will be investigated by two priests and two nuns.

In further evidence of how seriously the church takes the issue of (bad publicity resulting from) child sexual abuse by clergy, the pope yesterday accepted the resignation of Richard Burke as Archbishop of Benin, Nigeria. Burke withdrew from the actual administration of his archdiocese over a year ago, when the St. Patrick's Missionary Society of which he is a member informed him that they were investigating an allegation by a woman that he had begun sexually abusing her when she was 14 and he was a priest in her diocese.

A year and a half later, the pope has chosen to accept the Archbishop's resignation from his position, which he says he submitted because he has been "unfaithful to my oath of celibacy." That seems implausible in several respects.

It's certainly an odd statement coming from a Catholic bishop since, in church doctrine, celibacy refers specifically to remaining unmarried, and while it is mandated for all priests, I'm not aware of any required oath-swearing in connection with it. Chastity refers to refraining from all sexual activity, other than with one's spouse, if one has a spouse, and while members of some religious orders do make a vow of it, it is expected of all Catholics, not just priests.

Burke says he had a sexual relationship with his accuser, but that she was 21 when it began. The St. Patrick's Missionary Society also issued a statement Monday, saying their investigation into Dolores Atwood's allegation "found no evidence to corroborate the allegation of child sexual abuse."

They do not appear to have made any statement as to what they would consider corroborating evidence. Stone tablets, perhaps, with a full account of the events engraved thereon by a heavenly hand? The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has "taken over" the case, according to The Irish Catholic's story, and there it lies.

Burke still maintains that he has "never, ever, in my life – in any way – sexually abused a child." Dolores Atwood says otherwise. The Irish Catholic says Burke "has given an exclusive interview to The Irish Catholic and this will appear on Thursday."

Perhaps dogma has once again confused Burke. The Church's official position seems to be that the problem of children being sexually abused by priests has been caused by allowing gay men to be priests. Banish gays from the priesthood and voilá - no more sexual abuse of kids. Since Burke is straight and his victim was a girl, he can't have sexually abused a child. You just have to learn to logic like the pope, and all is made clear.