Thursday, October 7, 2010

PREPARATORY MEETING FOR APOSTOLIC VISITATION TO IRELAND

VATICAN CITY, 7 OCT 2010 (VIS) - At midday today the Holy See Press Office published the following English-language communique:

  "On 5 October the prefect and the secretary of the Congregation for Bishops and representatives from the Holy See held a preparatory meeting in Rome with the apostolic visitators named by the Holy Father for the Apostolic Visitation to the four metropolitan archdioceses of Ireland: Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop emeritus of Westminster, England; Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley O.F.M. Cap., archbishop of Boston, U.S.A.; Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto, Canada, and Archbishop Terrence T. Prendergast S.J. of Ottawa, Canada.

  "Mindful of the tragic abuse of children that has taken place in Ireland, the participants discussed the particular aspects of this important Visitation. Pastoral in nature, the Visitation 'is intended to assist the local Church on her path of renewal' and is a sign of the Holy Father's desire, as the Successor of Peter, to offer his pastoral solicitude to the Church in Ireland. The visitators will give particular attention to victims of abuse and their families, but will also meet with and listen to a variety of people, including ecclesiastical authorities, lay faithful and those involved with the crucial work of safeguarding of children.

  "On 6 October, as had been previously planned, Cardinal Sean B. Brady, archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Archbishop Dermot Clifford of Cashel and Emly, and Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit together with the visitators and superiors from the Congregation for Bishops and the Secretariat of State. The meeting that followed, marked by fraternal warmth and mutual collaboration, summarised the discussions from the previous day and focused on the organisation of the Apostolic Visitation and the archdioceses involved.

  "All participants are hopeful that this significant endeavour will be an instrument of purification and healing for the Church in Ireland and help to restore the trust and hope of the faithful there".
OP/                                    VIS 20101007 (340)

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