From Colette Browne’s column in today’s Irish Independent:
If you want to know what rape culture looks like there is
no more evocative image than a church full of the faithful bowing their heads
and being asked to pray for the acquittal of a man charged with serious sexual
offences.
As Cork's former lord mayor, John Murray, stood trial for the sexual assault of a teenager
last week, a priest celebrating a funeral Mass in another part of the city used
the occasion to pray for his exoneration.
The inference was clear. An innocent elderly man, a stalwart of the community, was facing scurrilous charges from a lying, scheming woman. She should not be believed.
But the jury did believe her and returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Today Murray, who first sexually assaulted the victim when she was just 13, is in prison awaiting sentence.
I can’t help feeling a little sceptical at this.
First, when was the last time you heard the prayers of the
faithful at Mass calling for a trial jury to reach a certain
verdict? The prayers of the faithful are usually much vaguer than that. And they
usually have do with groups of people rather than individuals. “We pray for the
sick, that they may experience the comfort of your love and find strength in
their deepest need .” Is a typical prayer of the faithful. “We pray that Mary O’Byrne
from up the road gets the all-clear in her scan next Wednesday” is not. And
even when individual people are singled out, the prayers for them are usually
of a general nature. “We pray for Mary O’Byrne, that she find strength and
healing ...”
Second, none of the reports of the incident seem to mention
exactly what Fr Crean – a retired
Augustinian missionary, who apparently knew Murray personally - said. His words
were not recorded. The Independent’s initial report of the incident yesterday did not mention any call for an
acquittal. It merely noted that Fr Crean “used one of the Prayers of
Intercession last Thursday to remember John Murray who served as Lord Mayor of
Cork in 1993/94.” The Provincial of the Augustinians, Fr Hennebry, is
quoted as saying that the prayer was “wholly inappropriate”, and the Bishop of
Cork and Ross says they were “inappropriate and offensive”. He does say that “the
comments were to do with a case that was before the courts.” But he does not
say what the “comments” were.
“Remembering” X in a prayer is a very, very different thing
from praying that the jury in X’s criminal trial return a verdict of Not
Guilty.
Incidentally, here is shining piece of journalism from
that earlier Independent report:
The Cotter family admitted they were appalled that an emotional family
event should be used for such a prayer.
"We are all in shock. We didn't comprehend at first what had been
said. I didn't hear it...when we went back (for the funeral meal) I heard
things that were being said. One person asked me who was the man they were
praying for so he could get off on the charges?"
"I was confused...I didn't know what they were talking about. If I
had known then what I know now I would have approached him (the priest)."
She said the Cotter family were very appreciative of the fact people
respected them enough not to walk out over the comments.
A few questions. Who is the “she” being quoted here? Was she at the
Mass? If so, why did she not hear the words from the priest that the
Independent thinks were so outrageous? Could Mr Riegel not find a more
authoritave witness, i.e. someone who actually remembers what Fr Crean said at
first hand? It appears not.
So what Fr Crean actually said remains a mystery. He may indeed have
asked people to pray for Murray’s acquittal , but if he did, we have not seen
much evidence of it. Naturally, that doesn’t stop our hard-headed, objective
media from jumping to conclusions.
