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F
feargalmac
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The bombing occurred in July 1972. Fr. Chesney was moved out of the jurisdiction, to Donegal in late 1973, over a year later. He was seen in Derry by security forces on a number of occasions. Hardly the basis for a cover up on the part of the Church.
Are the media throwing mud??
Are the media throwing mud??
Y
Yellow_Belle
Guest
I think that the Church, the British government and the RUC found themselves faced with the same incredibly difficult decision to make.
Even though I was only barely in my teens in 1972, I remember the horror of the Claudy car bombings very well. Three car bombs detonated in a village busy with innocent civilians shopping and going about their daily business. There was no warning: apparently all the phone lines had been damaged in an earlier bombing. I also remember that very shortly afterwards - within a few months - it was strongly suspected not just by the RUC but by nationalist politicians, that a [named] priest, possibly three priests, were involved. In the circumstances of Northern Ireland in the 1970s, had a priest been arrested even on suspicion of such a crime, it would have been open season on every Catholic priest in Northern Ireland. It doesn´t require much imagination to figure out what would have happened then.
So, as this report states, the police approached the Church authorities to discuss the situation and the decision was not to arrest Fr Chesney but to remove the priest to a parish across the border in the Republic. The Church authorities did question Fr Chesney at the time and he vigorously denied involvement, and yes, the police were free to arrest him on any of the several occasions he crossed the border. But had they done so at any time during the 1970s (Fr Chesney died in 1980), the same consequences would have ensued.
Did they make the right decision? Or would it have been better to arrest the priest, try to contain the fallout, and at least give him the opportunity to clear his name?
What we have now is that this report finds that there was evidence that Fr Chesney was quartermaster for the IRA in the area, and he is not around to defend himself. Nearly forty years later, the relatives of the victims still don´t know what really happened or who was responsible for the murder of their family members and they, rightly, want a full, public enquiry into the bombing. And, in hindsight, the Church (whatever good intentions it and the police had about trying to prevent a bloodbath) looks like it colluded in a cover up.
Even though I was only barely in my teens in 1972, I remember the horror of the Claudy car bombings very well. Three car bombs detonated in a village busy with innocent civilians shopping and going about their daily business. There was no warning: apparently all the phone lines had been damaged in an earlier bombing. I also remember that very shortly afterwards - within a few months - it was strongly suspected not just by the RUC but by nationalist politicians, that a [named] priest, possibly three priests, were involved. In the circumstances of Northern Ireland in the 1970s, had a priest been arrested even on suspicion of such a crime, it would have been open season on every Catholic priest in Northern Ireland. It doesn´t require much imagination to figure out what would have happened then.
So, as this report states, the police approached the Church authorities to discuss the situation and the decision was not to arrest Fr Chesney but to remove the priest to a parish across the border in the Republic. The Church authorities did question Fr Chesney at the time and he vigorously denied involvement, and yes, the police were free to arrest him on any of the several occasions he crossed the border. But had they done so at any time during the 1970s (Fr Chesney died in 1980), the same consequences would have ensued.
Did they make the right decision? Or would it have been better to arrest the priest, try to contain the fallout, and at least give him the opportunity to clear his name?
What we have now is that this report finds that there was evidence that Fr Chesney was quartermaster for the IRA in the area, and he is not around to defend himself. Nearly forty years later, the relatives of the victims still don´t know what really happened or who was responsible for the murder of their family members and they, rightly, want a full, public enquiry into the bombing. And, in hindsight, the Church (whatever good intentions it and the police had about trying to prevent a bloodbath) looks like it colluded in a cover up.
F
feargalmac
Guest
Two quotes from the report that are particularly relevant.
and6.24
With regard to the role of the Catholic Church, when informed of the
level of concerns others had about one of their priests, they challenged
Father Chesney about his alleged activities, which he denied. In the
course of this enquiry the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no
evidence of any criminal intent on the part of any Church official.
The Church has no case to answer.7.10
The Police Ombudsman recognises the co-operation of the Catholic
Church, Government officials and the retired police officers, who
assisted with this investigation.
B
Beau_Ouiville
Guest
On the other hand …
"Reporting from London —
The British government and the Roman Catholic Church conspired to cover up the suspected involvement of a local priest in a deadly triple bombing in Northern Ireland in 1972 that killed nine people, a new investigation into the attack found Tuesday.
Despite strong evidence that Father James Chesney had a hand in the explosions that ripped through the village of Claudy in July 1972, police decided not to go after the priest but instead asked officials in London to work with church leaders in having him removed from the area. Chesney moved across the border and was later assigned to a parish in Ireland.
No one was ever charged in connection with the attack near Londonderry, one of the most notorious incidents of terrorist violence during Northern Ireland’s “Troubles” because of its high civilian toll. Among the dead were an 8-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. …
The new report says that neither the British government nor the Catholic Church acted with criminal intent. But justice was nonetheless thwarted.
Cardinal Sean Brady, the current head of the church in Ireland, said he accepted the ombudsman’s findings."
chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-fg-northern-ireland-church-20100825,0,6551351.story
"Reporting from London —
The British government and the Roman Catholic Church conspired to cover up the suspected involvement of a local priest in a deadly triple bombing in Northern Ireland in 1972 that killed nine people, a new investigation into the attack found Tuesday.
Despite strong evidence that Father James Chesney had a hand in the explosions that ripped through the village of Claudy in July 1972, police decided not to go after the priest but instead asked officials in London to work with church leaders in having him removed from the area. Chesney moved across the border and was later assigned to a parish in Ireland.
No one was ever charged in connection with the attack near Londonderry, one of the most notorious incidents of terrorist violence during Northern Ireland’s “Troubles” because of its high civilian toll. Among the dead were an 8-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. …
The new report says that neither the British government nor the Catholic Church acted with criminal intent. But justice was nonetheless thwarted.
Cardinal Sean Brady, the current head of the church in Ireland, said he accepted the ombudsman’s findings."
chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-fg-northern-ireland-church-20100825,0,6551351.story
K
Kadaveri
Guest
I don’t blame the Church for co-operating with the cover up, their actions were understandable considering the circumstances.
F
feargalmac
Guest
My quotes are from the actual report itself, not some newspaper with an agenda.
What was the Cardinal to do? Was he supposed to interfere in a police investigation? Was he to act as judge and jury, and hang the priest anyway? The Diocese of Derry crosses the border and it would not be uncommon for a priest to be moved from one jurisdiction to another. The Church waited for over a year before moving Fr Chesney.
We still don’t know if the Fr Chesney was guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, because the police did not pursue the case. That they did not question him was their decision and there’s alone.
What was the Cardinal to do? Was he supposed to interfere in a police investigation? Was he to act as judge and jury, and hang the priest anyway? The Diocese of Derry crosses the border and it would not be uncommon for a priest to be moved from one jurisdiction to another. The Church waited for over a year before moving Fr Chesney.
We still don’t know if the Fr Chesney was guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, because the police did not pursue the case. That they did not question him was their decision and there’s alone.
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