The Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore has declined to apologise to victims of dead paedophile Bill Kenneally.
The Diocese has issued a brief statement after being asked last month if it intended issuing any apology in relation to the findings of the recent Commission of Investigation in matters surrounding Kenneally.
The former Waterford sports coach died in June in prison just a week after the publication of the 412-page report.
The document outlined how state bodies and individuals responded to the crimes committed by Kenneally, a paedophile who sexually abused boys in Waterford for decades.
The report found there was a serious dereliction of duty from some Gardaí and was very critical of a number of politicians, the then Southeastern Health Board and a senior member of the church in Waterford in how they responded to prolonged reports of abuse by Kenneally.
Victims received a rare State apology last month but the Catholic Church in Ireland has not apologised for the actions and inactions over decades of one of the most senior priests in the Waterford diocese.
Kenneally was a nephew of Monsignor John Shine, who died in February 2017 aged 91. Bishop Cullinan spoke at his funeral mass in Tramore.
Asked if the Diocese will apologise to the victims of Kenneally, a spokesperson for Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan says the Diocese acknowledged the profound suffering endured by the survivors of Bill Kenneally’s abuse and recognised their courage and perseverance over many years in seeking truth.
The brief statement says : “Bishop Cullinan wrote to the then Minister for Justice in 2017 calling for an investigation into these matters and fully accepts the findings of the Commission of Investigation. The Diocese will not be making any further statement to the media on this matter at this time.”
Monsignor Shine was President of St John’s College Seminary in Waterford from 1974 to 1980 and Vicar General of the Diocese for 13 years.
The Commission of Inquiry found Shine knew in 1987 that Kenneally was an abuser; that Shine failed to bring the matter into the public domain at least to the extent of reporting the matter to the statutory agencies responsible for child protection; and that he had made false statements to Gardaí in 2013.
When asked by this reporter in 2016 about Kenneally, Shine denied any knowledge of his crimes before they came to light in 2013, which the Commission stated was a lie. Asked if he had anything to say about his nephew, he said : “He was very good to his mother.”
Victims of Kenneally have criticised the Church’s response to the Commission of Investigation.
“They are the only entity which didn’t apologise to us,” said Jason Clancy. “They should say sorry for the role Monsignor Shine played in this cover up. Bishop Cullinan met with us in 2017 and came across as empathetic. We found out later in the Commission that he had met with his solicitors before our meeting with him. It’s amazing that Bishop Cullinan speaks out regularly on many matters, is often outspoken on things such as Yoga but on this very serious matter he has gone to ground. Shame on the Diocese for not issuing an apology.”
