Rowan Williams expresses 'regret' over church remarks.
And so he should....
Or should he?
Okay this is a tough one for me, being a Roman Catholic and having not much time for Rowan Williams - the one state not caused by the other, you understand; it's just coincidence.
Here's a copy of the story from the BBC web site.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has expressed his "deep sorrow" for any difficulties caused by his comments about the Catholic Church in Ireland.
His claim that the Church had lost all credibility because of its handling of child abuse by priests was criticised by both Catholic and Anglican clergy.
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, said he was "stunned".
Dr Rowan Williams later telephoned Archbishop Martin to insist he meant no offence to the Irish Catholic Church.
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said Dr Williams' words represented unusually damning criticism from the leader of another Church.
He made his comments about the scandal in an interview to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Start the Week programme.
Dr Williams said: "I was speaking to an Irish friend recently who was saying that it's quite difficult in some parts of Ireland to go down the street wearing a clerical collar now.
"And an institution so deeply bound into the life of a society, suddenly becoming, suddenly losing all credibility - that's not just a problem for the Church, it is a problem for everybody in Ireland."
The Archbishop of Dublin said those working to renew the Church did not need the remarks.
He said: "I still shudder when I think of the harm that was caused to abused children. I recognise that their Church failed them.
"I also journey with those - especially parents and priests - who work day by day to renew the Catholic Church in this diocese and who are committed to staying with their Church and passing on the faith in wearying times.
"Archbishop Williams' comments will be for them immensely disheartening and will challenge their faith even further," he said.
The Church in Ireland said the issue of abuse was being taken "very seriously".
Last month, Pope Benedict XVI apologised to all victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland.
He has also rebuked Irish bishops for "grave errors of judgement" in dealing with the problem.
Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Dr John Neill - a senior figure in Ireland's Anglican communion - said he had listened to the remarks of Dr Williams with "deep regret".
"As one who... acknowledges the pain and deep suffering of the victims of abuse, I also feel for the countless priests and bishops who daily live out their Christian vocation," he added.
Fellow Anglican the Most Revd Richard Clarke, Bishop of Meath and Kildare, said Dr Williams' remarks were "careless and reckless" and "deeply hurtful".
"It should be remembered that the archbishop has neither experience of Irish life nor any direct ecclesiastical authority in this country. I hope that he will reflect on his comments, and I deeply regret the hurt that he has caused.
"As those of us who live in this country know very well, most bishops, priests and religious of the Roman Catholic tradition minister faithfully and selflessly under very difficult conditions with the love and support of their people," he added.
But Catherine Pepinster, editor of Catholic weekly newspaper The Tablet said Rowan Williams' comments were "very striking" and that many Catholics would share his opinion.
Vows of silence
Dr Williams' comments came after Pope Benedict's personal preacher, the Rev Raniero Cantalamessa, compared criticism of the pontiff and Church over child abuse to "collective violence" suffered by the Jews.
Speaking at Good Friday prayers in St Peter's Basilica, Father Cantalamessa quoted a Jewish friend as saying the accusations reminded him of the "more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism".
The Vatican said this was not its official position and the comments were criticised by Jewish groups and those representing abuse victims.
On Sunday, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, is expected to apologise during his Easter address in Edinburgh to the victims of paedophile priests.
The Catholic Church has had this problem, and not just in Ireland, for years. The various men in charge have consistently done a cover-up job, often moving priests from one hunting ground to another unsuspecting parish. Perhaps the real question is why this hasn't blown up into a bloody outcry much earlier. Maybe it was just the weight of evidence that finally broke the intransigence and exposed the shocking neglect of their duty of care.
Now, I am certain that the massive majority of priests are as disgusted as the next man on the Clapham omnibus. Unlike an old colleague of mine, I do not believe that all priests are wrong-doers. I do believe, however, that the men in charge are to blame for not dealing with the paedo-priests when they could have - and should have - done. The perverts who messed up young people's lives over the years are unquestionably the first criminals here, but the leaders who shielded them from justice deserve no lattitude.
Would you trust a bishop if you found out that he had essentially been harbouring a sex criminal? Of course not, so that's a dumb question. So is Rowan Wiliams dumb when he says that the institution has lost credibility (even if he was quoting a friend in Ireland)?
I have no doubt that the good men and women involved in the Church's repair work in Ireland, such as the Most Revd Richard Clarke, Bishop of Meath and Kildare, are doing all that they can to restore trust and good relations with the Faithful. Were Williams' comments the most encouraging thing that he could have said? No, and having salt rubbed into a wound is not a nice feeling. But then that was not their purpose; he was reflecting on what he saw and what had been shared with him. He was not saying anything that the people did not know. And you have to be able to articulate what the score is becfore you can start to fix things.
I am trying to decide if Rowan Williams is being rightly censured for his careless and destructive words or is suffering unfair villification at the hands of the press and other critics for telling it like it is.
And it's rare for me to say this: I do not know.
Here is the
original article at the BBC web site.
