A FEW WEEKS AGO I APPLIED TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBLIN’S DATA PROTECTION OFFICE FOR FULL DISCLOSURE OF EVERYTHING ON FILE ABOUT ME SINCE 1970 WHEN I ENTERED CLONLIFFE SEMINARY.
A few days ago I was very impressed with the arrival of everything they had on me – 200 – 300 pages of it
I was particularly interested in the report the president of Clonliffe wrote about me after my expulsion from Clonliffe in 1973.
The report written on July 7th 1973 said that I was:
1. Morally beyond reproach
2. Intellectually average.
3. Over pious.
4. Clericalised.
5. Deserving of a second chance in another seminary.
All in all, I felt it was a fair report. Not the one I might write. But fair
And “no man can be the judge in his own cause”.
And of course the report blows out of the water, the accusations of my detractors, that I was sexually active in Clonliffe – a total lie.
My experience with this GDPR report confirms in my my opinion that Diarmuid Martin is the best of the current lot of Irish bishops and that he runs a fairly open and transparent operation, whatever else his faults may be.
I would also like to commend the Dublin archivist/ data officer Ms Noelle Dowling for her total professionalism.
I know that some of the Dublin clergy are keen to see the back of DM.
But, depending on who replaces him they may chant in the future: “Come back Diarmuid. All is forgiven”.
I could easily cope with DM as my bishop.
Imagine a Phonsie, a Brady or an Amy Martin!
Oh, and a priest friend of mine recently applied to Cashel and Emly for their GDPR data and got short shrift.
I have also applied to Down and Connor for my file. The initial response was frosty.
These Roman Don’s dont like openness and transparency.
They have lived on secrecy and the Omerta code for a thousand years plus.
TRANSPARENCY must be our catchcry.
INFORMATION is POWER!
Folks, priests, seminarians, apply for your GDPR data.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 