The findings of the Ferns report were publicly welcomed and accepted yesterday by the Apostolic Administrator to Ferns diocese, Most Rev Eamonn Walsh, at Mass in Wexford's Church of the Immaculate Conception on Rowe Street.
In a pastoral letter, which he concluded to applause from the congregation, Bishop Walsh praised the "painstaking and dedicated work" of the inquiry team and also acknowledged "those who were so brave and courageous in coming forward to the inquiry to recount their horrific stories of sexual abuse".
He continued it was "inexcusable that some priests of the diocese sexually abused children. I am unable to attempt to describe the mental and emotional state of a child or teenager sexually abused by a priest or the loneliness of carrying such a harrowing secret through the growing up years and into adulthood".
He spoke of the "fear of not being believed; being manipulated into thinking it was their fault; becoming distant and angry with people who may have had knowledge or who perhaps knew what was happening; trust in the church, and priests, shattered; being distrustful, confused and fear-filled in relationships: God and church contact contaminated, sometimes permanently".
He went on to "again sincerely apologise" to all who had suffered. He accepted the inquiry findings that some priests in the diocese should not have been ordained, and would not have been, had those who made complaints been listened to.
Some young people were abused because "some priests wrongly chose to remain silent, perhaps out of an erroneous sense of loyalty or through an unwillingness to believe that a fellow-priest could be an abuser - dismissing people's suspicions in a way that would be seen as naïve in the extreme today".
"There is no doubt that abuse could have been avoided had there been better understanding and monitoring of all activities involving children."
It was "not a time for excuses. There are hard lessons to be learned from the findings of the inquiry. There is much to be done to repair the damage to those who were abused," he said.
The diocese was committed to doing all it could to repair that damage, he said. "We are acutely aware that this will be a long process. We are also aware that some of those whose trust in priests and the church had been shattered may have a real difficulty in accepting any help from us," he said.
He said many of the inquiry recommendations had already been addressed in the diocese and what was outstanding would be acted on immediately. He outlined the child protection measures in place or being planned.
He thanked the people of Ferns for their continued support, and said their task of leading their children in the faith had been "made more difficult".
