Letter sent to the Irish Examiner 31 August 2010

Questions for Cardinal Brady


Cardinal Brady denies that Catholic Church leaders
colluded with British government authorities to cover-up
Father Chesney's role in the bombing of Claudy.

We know this:

On Monday, July 31st, 1972 between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m.
three car bombs exploded in Claudy, County Londonderry.
Nine people were killed, thirty wounded. The town and its people were devastated.


The RUC suspected Father Chesney was involved. Chesney was sent to the Republic ''after secret talks between the then, Secretary of state, William Whitelaw and Cardinal Conway, head of the Catholic Church in Ireland,” who
described Chesney as a 'bad man.'

Chesney is believed to have been 'involved in IRA activities until his death in 1980.’

The bombing was a not just a murder; it was massacre of innocent people.

Cardinal Brady, what do you consider collusion to be?
How do you define it in this case?

A detective friend once said that there are three basic
questions in any criminal investigation.

What happened?
Who did it?, and
Why?

The second and third questions were never answered because
Father Chesney was secretly moved away from the scene of the crime. He was never questioned. This remains an unsolved crime.

The Church handled it like a sexual abuse case. Get the suspect away from the scene of the crime. Fast.

The families had their lives torn apart. Catholic, and Protestant. Forever. Cardinal Brady, how could the church comfort the victims whilst hiding the alleged perpetrator? Do you not see any ethical dilemma with that?

Church officials, British and Irish Republic government authorities had a duty to act, and still do! The criminal investigation was shut down. They obstructed justice.

It was a criminal conspiracy of silence.

The actions of the conspirators, on both sides of the border spit in their ‘Obligation to Respect Human Rights’ (article 1 of the Convention).

The victim’s families were denied justice, and the right to an ‘effective remedy’ as guaranteed under article 13 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Cardinal Brady said “If there was sufficient evidence to link him to criminal activity, he should have been arrested and questioned at the earliest opportunity, like anyone else.” True. But, this is coming from a man who, in 1975 had children sign an affidavit of silence after they reported being sexually assaulted by one Brendan Smyth.

It was over 20 years from the ‘affidavit of silence’ till
he was brought to justice. The Catholic Church hierarchy hides its criminals from the long arm of justice,
and the hierarchy operates like a joint criminal enterprise.

The Church washed its hands of the matter like Pontius Pilate. There actions were criminal.