Religious Orders

The Religious Orders don't want to give any more money to the Child Abuse Compensation fund because they want to channel the resources directly into services for victims......has it struck anybody that perhaps the victims might not want anything at all directly from the Religious Orders - considering the services they had directly received in their youth?

It's still about money - for the Orders, not the victims. Michael O'Brien spoke unbelievably on Questions & Answers last night about his 'experience'. He told us that this what the order who ran the home he was in - accused him of when he attended the non-adversarial compensation commission where he was cross-examined by 7 barristers. Non-adversarial? Some of the stories and questions asked of the victims which have emerged indicate a very combative and intrusive questioning of victims by the commission and the Orders in 'defending' themselves. They still haven't copped on that what they did was totally and utterly indefensible on any front or in any way. Utterly indefensible. Barristers of course will defend whoever is paying them obviously.

The 18 religious orders should pay up. They should had over their foul evil money and go back to the vows of poverty and chastity that they profess. Tell us what you have and atone in a very inadequate way for the sins done under your banner and protection.

If I were a victim, the last person I would want direct services from would be the orders who perpetrated the rapes, buggery, abuse, torture and even murder in the first place. None of this is putting the victims first or showing even a glimmer of understanding or remorse.

The calls from the 'church' to the religious orders are welcome but they will have the chance to demonstrate their own committment when the Dublin Diocese and the Cloyne reports hit the headlines in the near future. That will be the true measure of their words.

I don't know what would be enough. But I know one thing. The religious orders need to go back and examine their consciences and stop their preachy voices and false platitudes that are infuriating to the victims and to anyone who is horrified beyond reason by what has come into our homes and hearts and ears over the past week or so.

Do they have any idea of what they did? Do they have any idea?