Sir, – Paddy Agnew writes that “the principles of bishops’ accountability would seem to have arrived in the Holy See” (“Resignations reflect Pope Francis’s hard line on sex abuse cases”, June 22nd). Yes, but where’s the accountability of the Holy See itself?
The circulation to all bishops’ conferences by Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos of his congratulatory letter in 2001 to a French bishop for refusing to co-operate with civil authorities in the investigation of clerical sex abuse can only have been intended as an instruction “go ye and do likewise”.
As Cardinal Hoyos was head of the Congregation of the Clergy, diocesan bishops had good reason to believe that this was Vatican policy which it was their duty to implement.
To sanction diocesan bishops while ignoring the role of their superiors would be hugely unjust and the remit of the tribunal should therefore be extended to cover the role of the curia. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN BURKE,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.