Dear Bishop Brennan

I read in the article mentioned above ('Catholic diocese seeks cash to pay Irish victims' – article in Boston Globe, March 2, 2010) that you have asked your parishioners to pitch in to pay for the bills arising from the sexual abuse of chidren in your parish.

Frankly, I am aghast that you would even consider such an appeal considering it was the clergy in your employ who perpetrated the abuse. The coverups, rape, sexual molestation lie firmly in your court, as do the the costs. You have no business asking anyone to pay other than the church.

In asking for funding from your parishioners, you are asking the abused to pay for the costs associated with their own abuse. How absurd. It reinforces the perception of contempt that you (the church) have towards these victims.

In another way you are making it appear as if the abused themselves are at fault here by putting you in a position to request such a seemingly humiliating bail-out. Who do you think your parishioners are going to be upset with when they dig into their pockets – assuming they do? You must be aware that the resentment will eventually lie at the feet of the victims.

If you are short of cash, as your Financial Officer Eugene Doyle suggests, there are other sources within the church. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin may be in a position to help, or failing that, the resources of the Vatican should be tapped.

There is more to this debt to victims than just financial. There is a moral and ethical obligation to provide recompense from within the halls of the church proper for the incomprehensive crimes committed against the innocents. There can be no other way.

Sincerely yours, Evin M. Daly, Founder, CEO Once Chid International Inc./ChildAbuse Watch edaly@abusewatch.net www.1child.net

Dear Sir,

The issue of Catholics contributing to the abuse compensation fund is a very simple one.

The Church holds all of it's assets – lands, monies, buildings etc. – for the day to day running and future survival of the Catholic faith. The more assets it loses, the less likely it is to survive in any meaningful way.

Yes, it is an issue of the people paying for the Church's sins but also that the Church will have the means to survive without selling off schools, churches etc. If people want the Church to survive in it's present state, they need to contribute to ensure survival. If people don't want the Church to survive in it's present state – don't.

Through our charity, 'Let Our Voices Emerge', I have spoken to many from the religious orders and abuse survivors who, in the past, felt the Church was being unfairly targeted by those few with specific agendas.

They now state that it would be preferable to see the downfall of the Church as it stands, and the rebuilding of a more humble and truthful entity.

We have seen many brave people – nuns, priests and Brothers – give selflessly to care for us in the Industrial Schools, but we've also collectively seen a corruption that must be atoned for.

We feel it's the duty of the Catholic Church to make this atonement and then let it survive, if it's able to, on it's remaining assetts. Florence Horsman-Hogan Let Our Voices Emerge fhorsmanhogan@eircom.net

Dear Sir,

In reply to your question in last week's People newspaper asking what we thought about Bishop Brennan's appeal, I would like to say the following.

While I share the view that, as well as the priests who misbehaved, the Bishops and, I believe, the Pope, behaved very bady in not protecting the abused and putting 'not causing a scandal' above the real scandal of failing to act effectively to deal with the problem; I nonetheless think that, if we all help a little in dealing with the costs of the problem, we are, as Catholics (even those of us who consider themselves mediore Catholics), taking responsibility for our church, in company with our good Bishop and very many good priests, and I think that is a proper thing to do. I will be making a contribution.

Yours sincerely, Kieran Mulcahy, Sallystown, Killinick, Co. Wexford.