Archbishop Eamon Martin attends clerical abuse survivor's book launch

Gerard Gorman, left, details the abuse in a new book co-authored with his brother Damian (right)

The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has attended the launch of a book by a survivor of clerical abuse.

Archbishop Eamon Martin accepted the invitation by Gerard Gorman to attend Sunday's event in Londonderry.

An Irish Catholic Church spokesman said the archbishop "believes it important that the stories of survivors are heard and listened to".

Mr Gorman's book details the abuse he said he suffered at St Colman's College in Newry by Fr Malachy Finegan.

Mr Gorman's book is described as an account of how he "finally found a voice to tell his story".

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show, Mr Gorman's brother, Damian, who co-authored the book, said the presence of Archbishop Martin at the event at the Playhouse in Derry was a significant moment.

Gerard Gorman says the book was written when he "finally found a voice to tell his story"

"Gerard believes and I believe, for what it's worth, that huge tracts of his life were taken by what Finnegan did and by the obfuscation and delay, and maybe defensiveness of the institution's good name," he said.

"He found the event exhausting, he was sore, but he said to me that I am glad I came, and I am glad Archbishop Martin came because I think it'll do a bit of good."

Damian said there "was a graciousness" to Archbishop Martin's response to attending the book launch.

"This man went out of his way to be there," he said.

Fr Malachy Finegan was never questioned by police and died in 2002

Fr Finnegan was never prosecuted for sexual abuse or questioned by police about claims made against him.

Fr Finnegan, who died in 2002, began working in St Colman's College in 1967.

He was later employed as a teacher and was eventually promoted to serve as the school's president.

After he left the school, he was appointed a parish priest in Clonduff, County Down, where he was also accused of a long campaign of child sexual abuse.

The allegations were reviewed by the National Board for Safeguarding Children - a clerical abuse watchdog set up by the Catholic Church.

The scandal broke in February 2018, when the Diocese of Dromore announced it had reached a compensation settlement with one of 12 people who had accused Fr Finnegan of abuse.

Archbishop Eamon Martin has met Gerard Gorman previously, the church said

A spokesman for the Catholic Church told BBC News NI "Archbishop Eamon has had the opportunity to meet and engage with Gerard in the past".

The Archbishop attended Sunday's book launch not only because he "currently has pastoral responsibility for the diocese within which St Colman's College is located" but also because he "believes it important that the stories of survivors are heard and listened to".

The spokesman added that the Archbishop "trusts that this publication will be a helpful contribution to assisting the long journey of healing for those who have been so deeply betrayed and traumatised".

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