Kirchenakte1996-2009 · 13 years
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Cover-up in the Diocese of Cloyne and the attitude of the Vatican (Cloyne Report)
The same state commission that had investigated Dublin examined how the Diocese of Cloyne dealt with abuse allegations against 19 clerics from 1996 to 2009. Although the Irish bishops had undertaken in 1996 to report all allegations to the police, the diocese did not report 9 of 15 cases that clearly required reporting. Until 2008 Bishop Magee hardly concerned himself with them. The Vatican called the bishops' reporting obligation questionable "of both a moral and a canonical nature"; according to the commission, this gave the bishops a free hand to disregard their own rules.
- Period
- 1996-2009 (13 years)
- Report published
- 13 July 2011
- Country
- Ireland, Vatican City
- Institutions
- Diocese of Cloyne
Congregation for the Clergy (Vatican) - Category
- Sexual abuse, Cover-up
- Level of evidence
- A Primary source · what does this mean?
- Persons
- John Magee (Bishop of Cloyne)
Monsignore Denis O’Callaghan (vicar general, responsible for abuse cases)
What happened to the people
Who was affected? Victims and numbers
- Allegations against 19 clerics from the period from 1 January 1996 to 1 February 2009 were examined. One priest admitted to having abused at least four children in his first years as a priest; neither the Church nor the police tried to find out whether there were further cases.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.2 und 1.4
„Chapters 9 – 26 describe the cases of 19 clerics“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.2 und 1.4. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.11
„One of these clerics admitted to abusing at least four children during his early years as a priest. No attempt was made by Church authorities or the Gardaí to ascertain if there had been other incidents involving this priest“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.11. Original
How were they charged and sentenced?
- Between 1996 and 2005 the diocese should clearly have reported 15 allegations to the police; it did not report 9 of them. In the case of 12 clerics with only one allegation, the diocese never tried to find out whether there were further victims.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.22
„Between 1996 and 2005, there were 15 complaints which very clearly should have been reported by the diocese to the Gardaí“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.22. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.22
„Of these 15, nine were not reported“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.22. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.9
„there are 12 clerics against whom a single complaint was made. No attempt was made by the Diocese of Cloyne to ascertain if there were others who had complaints to make against these clerics“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.9. Original
What happened to those affected?
- Two of the victims had tried to take their own lives; one named a friend who had taken his own life. Anger, self-destructive behaviour, depression, isolation and low self-esteem were also named. Almost all had great difficulty building and maintaining relationships. Many had lost their faith. Not a single case was reported by the victims themselves at the time of the act; all disclosed only as adults.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.7
„Two of the complainants had attempted suicide. One complainant mentioned a friend who had committed suicide. Other problems identified by the complainants included difficulty managing anger, self-destructive behaviour, depression, isolation and poor self-esteem.“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.7. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.14
„Almost all of the complainants had great difficulty in establishing and maintaining personal relationships.“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.14. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.21
„had long since ceased to have any belief in the Catholic religion“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.21. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.3
„It is notable that this report does not include a single instance of contemporaneous reporting of abuse by the abused person. All were adults at the time of disclosure.“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.3. Original - Most victims continued to live in the places where the abuse had happened. The perpetrators often still lived there, were highly respected by family and community and continued to conduct weddings and funerals in the families, in one case the wedding of the victim herself.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.4
„Even after the abuse stopped, the abusers continued to officiate at family weddings and funerals and, in one case, at the complainant’s own wedding.“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.4. Original
Witness accounts and records
“He destroyed my trust. He destroyed my normal way of living. The abnormal becomes so normal for me.” Another complainant said: “They have robbed my faith. They have robbed my safe haven”.
and to this day I still am afraid of choking. I am afraid of, and I have been on tablets since then. I don't leave home and I don't leave my comfort zone.
Background
Course of events
- Until 2008, twelve years after the rules were adopted, Bishop John Magee took little interest in the abuse cases. In practice Monsignor O'Callaghan, who rejected the duty to report to the authorities, made the decisions. Magee resigned in March 2010.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.17
„It is a remarkable fact that Bishop Magee took little or no active interest in the management of clerical child sexual abuse cases until 2008, 12 years after the Framework Document was adopted“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.17. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.17
„In particular, he did not approve of the requirement to report to the civil authorities“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.17. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 3, Nr. 3.7
„On 9 March 2010 Bishop Magee tendered his resignation“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 3, Nr. 3.7. Original
Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)
- According to the commission's findings, the diocese placed far too much weight on the concerns of the accused. The responsible delegate himself admitted that he had favoured the accused. The victims were without exception of the opinion that the church leaders were concerned only with protecting the institution and not with the welfare of the children.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.97
„The Commission considers that the Diocese of Cloyne put far too much emphasis on the concerns of alleged offenders“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.97. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.97
„I regret also that I tended to show favour to accused priests“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.97. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.22
„They were all of the opinion that in their meetings with higher Church officials, the sole concern was the protection of the institution rather than the wellbeing of children.“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 27, Nr. 27.22. Original
Who received the assets, who profited?
- As early as 1987 the Irish Bishops' Conference recommended that every diocese insure itself against claims for damages for sexual abuse by clerics; the Bishop of Cloyne took out such insurance. The bishop's delegate later regretted that the diocese chose the legal route instead of paying victims fair compensation earlier.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.2
„There was a recommendation before the meeting that each diocesan bishop take out an insurance policy in respect of claims relating to clerical child sex abuse.“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.2. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.3
„he informed his diocesan College of Consultors (see Chapter 3) that he was taking out an insurance policy in respect of clerical child sex abuse claims“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.3. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.97
„I regret now that I did not intervene to counter the choice of the legal route when just settlements should have been made earlier with survivors.“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 4, Nr. 4.97. Original
Response of the Church
- The Congregation for the Clergy in the Vatican told the Irish bishops that their rules were only a "study document", contained procedures contrary to canon law, and that the obligation to report to the authorities gave rise to "serious reservations of both a moral and a canonical nature". According to the commission, this gave individual bishops the freedom to disregard the agreed rules.
Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.18
„The reaction of the Vatican to the Framework Document was entirely unhelpful to any bishop who wanted to implement the agreed procedures“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.18. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.18
„In particular, the situation of ‘mandatory reporting’ gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and a canonical nature“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.18. Original Evidence: Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.18
„This effectively gave individual Irish bishops the freedom to ignore the procedures which they had agreed“
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Kap. 1, Nr. 1.18. Original
Original texts
procedures and dispositions which appear contrary to canonical discipline and which, if applied, could invalidate the acts of the same Bishops who are attempting to put a stop to these problems. If such procedures were to be followed by the Bishops and there were cases of eventual hierarchical recourse lodged at the Holy See, the results could be highly embarrassing and detrimental to those same Diocesan authorities.
See also
-
1914-2000 · 86 years
Abuse in Irish homes and industrial schools (Ryan Report)
- Ireland
- Violence
- Sexual abuse
-
1962-2002 · 40 years
Abuse and cover-up in the Diocese of Ferns (Ferns Report)
- Ireland
- Sexual abuse
- Cover-up
-
1975-2004 · 29 years
Abuse and cover-up in the Archdiocese of Dublin (Murphy Report)
- Ireland
- Sexual abuse
- Cover-up
Original documents to read
- Government report
Commission of Investigation (Irland), Vorsitz Richterin Yvonne Murphy: Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, 13 July 2011. Original (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.