How low can you get?
In 1970, a ten year old girl, Bernadette Connolly was abducted, raped and murdered in County Donegal.
The crime has never been solved.
The known facts of the case are that a van was seen by several people in the vicinity of the abduction. That van was owned by the Passionate Order of monks, who had a house in the area. Suspicion centred on a Father Columba who was a member of the Passionate Order.
Naturally, detectives wanted to interview this Fr Columba, and here is where the mystery begins.
An alibi was provided for Fr Columba by another monk, who said Columba was in Dublin at the time. Yet an eyewitness said they saw that monk in the van with Columba near the scene of the abduction at the time of the crime. In the early stages of the investigation, Columba was transferred to Africa. At every turn, detectives were met with silence and non-cooperation. Vital evidence, such as Bernadette’s bicycle went missing. The investigation was eventually stopped at the highest level.
Why did the monastery fail to cooperate? Why did the Church stop the investigation?
To my mind, there can be only one reason.
We know that the Church are quite willing to shield abusers, paedophiles and rapists. We know their policy of protecting themselves against any investigation, no matter how guilty they are.
Has the Church sunk so low into the depths of depravity that they will knowingly shield and protect a child murderer?
I thought the Murphy report was bad.
But this just defies all belief.
http://archives.tcm.ie/sligoweekender/2002/09/11/story789.asp
Quite a different take!
Was reading the stuff on the Herald and Independent websites – it’s appalling.
Does there need to be a Murphy style investigation in every diocese?
Ian – It is beyond appalling. It is nauseating. Not only does there urgently need to be a full countrywide investigation, but more importantly, the full rigours of the law must be brought to bear on all concerned.
If the authorities fail to act, then they are as complicit as these low life.
Titch – Is that a different take though? It is irrelevant whether Columba committed the crime or not. The fact is that the Church would move him out of the country and refuse all cooperation merely because he was a suspect.
Here is an organisation who are quite willing to shield a suspected child rapist and murderer in order to save their reputation. Is that the act of a Christian society?
I am not one for banging on about the Catholic Church in Ireland. I have no affiliation to any group that is. I have seen some of the great work that they do and have done in very poor places. By very dedicated Priests and Nuns that have real faith. I was raised a Catholic, and as I entered adulthood I decide that religion was not for me. I have always felt that people have the right to practice their religion as long as they don’t interfere with me or mine. BUT!! The Catholic Church is the richest organization in the world. They are a registered charity in all western nations and a few of the others. If they were anyone else or anywhere else and behaved as they do in Ireland. They would be fucked out on their ear and their accepts taken away from them. How dare they preach to people about right and wrong. And try to stand on their moral high ground. To hell with the lot of them…..
Bubbles – I don’t normally bang on about it myself, but since the report on institutional abuse came out, and now this latest fiasco I just have to rant about it. Either that, or I’m off to the Papal Nuncio with my sniper rifle.
Grandad, your reaction would be extreme but you are thinking in the right direction.
Bubbles – Why do things by half measures? I leave that to our Glorious Leader.
At its best, it’s perverting the course of justice or whatever they call it. Charge the fuckers if any one of them is still lucky enough to be breathing.
At its worst it’s the stuff of nightmares.
Bastards.
Martin – That is my precise point. If there is no guilt they are still guilty of perverting the course of justice, but there can only be one reason why they refused to cooperate? Yer man Columba is dead but the others should be hunted down, tried and if found guilty, they should be branded.
Quote from I think Martin Mansergh in the early days of the lead up to the Ryan Report. ‘There have been unexplained deaths in the Irish situation’.
There’s been no attempt as far as I know to trace what happened to a number of young people who disappeared from Religious Institutions.
I sometimes wonder whether the stringing out of inquiries and reports is to ensure that most accused will have died before coming before the law. It smells of continued corruption on behalf of the Roman empire.
The last thing the church or FF want is a load of elderly clergy yapping away in a witness box.