BISHOP MAGEE:ARCHBISHOP OF Cashel and Emly Dr Dermot Clifford has said he was not aware of any other incident of inappropriate behaviour involving Bishop John Magee other than the one incident investigated by the Commission of Investigation into Clerical Abuse in the Diocese of Cloyne.
Archbishop Clifford said while the commission described Bishop Magee as having “mental reservations” about what to write in one Fr Caden’s file, he believed Bishop Magee had told lies, and that was indefensible.
He believed the bishop had failed to properly supervise Msgr Denis O’Callaghan as child protection delegate when Msgr O’Callaghan had indicated he did not believe the church should report complaints of abuse to the civil authorities.
The report looked at a complaint from a young man that when aged 17 and considering joining the priesthood, Bishop Magee had embraced him tightly, kissed him on the forehead and told him he loved him and dreamed about him.
Judge Yvonne Murphy and her team concluded the Diocese of Cloyne had handled the complaint correctly when it sought advice from child protection experts who deemed the incident inappropriate behaviour, rather than sexual abuse.
Archbishop Clifford said he did not believe the incident compromised Bishop Magee’s ability to implement child protection policies in the diocese.
He said he based this on the fact Bishop Magee stepped down as administrator of the diocese just four months later, in March 2009.
Archbishop Clifford backed Bishop Magee when a report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church published by Bishop Magee in December 2008 highlighted deficiencies in child protection practices in the diocese.
He said he changed his mind on the tenability of Bishop Magee’s position when he took over running the diocese on March 7th, 2009, and examined files on complaints of clerical sexual abuse.
