Dublin, Ireland, Jun 8, 2009 / 22:25 pm
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin on Monday reported that Pope Benedict XVI was “visibly upset” by the details of a recent government report detailing child abuse in Irish institutions run by religious orders.
Archbishop Martin and Primate of Ireland Seán Brady had a meeting with the Pope on Friday, in which they discussed the Ryan report.
They reported on their meeting to Irish bishops in Maynooth, after which the cardinal released a statement to journalists.
Cardinal Brady said the Pope had listened “very carefully, very attentively, very sympathetically to what we had to say and he said in reply that this was a time for deep examination of life here in Ireland in the Church,” the Irish Times reports.
The cardinal said the Pope urged the two to establish the truth of what happened and to ensure that justice is done for all. Pope Benedict also urged them to instate measures that will prevent the abuses from happening again, with a view to furthering healing for the survivors.