The head of the Society of Jesus in Ireland says he is ashamed of the order’s failure to tackle abuse following the publication of a new report revealing 93 complaints of sexual, physical and emotional abuse against the late priest. He said that
The order also reveals the names of two other members of the Irish Province who say they have received credible allegations of abuse, even when the Church in Ireland adopted a binding code in 1996. He admitted that he had been slow to prioritize protective measures.
Provincial president Jesuit Father Shane Daly said the order had received 93 complaints against Father Joseph Marmion, the late priest and teacher who was named as a child molester three years ago. That’s what it means. The company has paid more than $7.55 million in damages to date and has set aside more funds for future claims.
In March 2021, the Jesuits invited the accusers of Father Marmion to join the order, and a restorative justice program was established.
On February 8, the organization released what it called a narrative account of Father Marmion’s abuse, stating that 45 of the 93 complaints it had received since 1977 related to child sexual abuse. Ta.
These complaints were reported to the association between 1965 and 2023 and occurred between 1940 and 1991.
Father Daly said the story is now being published to show transparency for both the accuser and the former student who wanted the truth to be made public.
As Jesuits, we are ashamed of our failures. Not allowing the truth to be told, not admitting the wrong that happened, and creating an opportunity sooner to receive the vindication you sought, deserved, and needed. I couldn’t do it. He said it was a result of your experience with Father Marmion SJ.
We express our due gratitude to you and apologize for the delay in creating conditions that will allow us, as a Christian community, to receive the consideration we so desperately desire in life and in our mission, the Provincial wrote. There is.
Father Daly also encouraged anyone who has been harmed by the Jesuits to consider speaking with us. We would love to hear your thoughts.
The Jesuits also named for the first time two other priests who were the subject of numerous charges of child sexual abuse but were allowed to continue their ministry with children.
The narrative notes raised concerns about Father Marmion dating back to the 1940s, but said he may have benefited from undue respect for his family.
He was the grand-nephew of the Dublin-born monk Blessed Joseph Columba Marmion (a Benedictine who died in 1923) and one of the most popular and influential Catholic writers of the 20th century. He was beatified by St. John Paul II in 2000.
Fr Daly said past pupils had suffered terrible abuse and praised their contribution to the report, which was compiled on behalf of a group of former pupils and the Jesuit’s own steering group. The main purpose of their work was to have the experiences of past students who were abused by Father Marmion heard, acknowledged and validated, the report said.
The order also establishes a three-member working group, including a child psychologist, social worker, and former Supreme Court Justice John McMenamin, to work with the Jesuits on naming future abuse suspects. It is.
In an interview with national broadcaster RTÉ, Father Daly appealed for those who have been abused to come forward and take advantage of the new compensation scheme.
We have long had a very non-adversarial approach to compensation payments. The reparations plan formalizes that and is an option for those who want to come forward, he said.
Asked if future damages could be in the millions of dollars, he said it could be very large.