Saturday, March 31, 2012

Cloyne issues child protection newsletter

Cloyne diocese is to publish a newsletter dedicated to safeguarding children.

The diocese was strongly criticised in Judge Yvonne Murphy’s report last year and the Church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children in 2008 for its failure to protect children under Bishop John Magee.

The newsletter is an attempt by the diocese to improve its damaged reputation by providing Massgoers with detailed information on how anybody with concerns about the safety of children or vulnerable young adults can obtain assistance and advice.

The first edition contains an outline of how the committee works by former school principal, Denis Ring, There is also a frequently asked questions section while details of the structures for safeguarding children in the diocese are also contained in the newsletter.

The first edition of the newsletter was warmly welcomed by the diocese’s administrator, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly Dermot Clifford.

"If history is to record the first decade of the 21st century as a deeply humiliating time in the Church in Cloyne diocese, then let history also record that this was a time when the Church in Cloyne used every available opportunity to learn from past mistakes, rectify past wrongs, and move forward in faith with a renewed purpose and vigour especially with regard to the safety and wellbeing of the young and most vulnerable," he said.

Archbishop Clifford said the task of safeguarding children was an ongoing one requiring vigilance, energy, and commitment.