The past year has been one of almost unrelenting bad news for the Church. However, with the publication of the latest annual report from the Church's independent child protection office we have some good news at last writes David Quinn

This good news comes in two forms. The first is that the office, headed by Ian Elliott, a Northern Presbyterian, can report that all of the country's 26 dioceses are now cooperating with the Church's child protection norms.

But secondly and more importantly, not one of the 197 allegations reported to Mr Elliott's office in the year to March 31, 2010 related to abuse that has taken place recently, in other words to contemporary abuse. (Hopefully next year's report will provide a more detailed breakdown of the allegations received by diocese, by congregation and by the period they relate to)

All of the 197 allegations were made by adults and relate to experiences that happened to them as children. No allegations were reported by children, or by adults on behalf of those children.

Safer place

In other words it can now be truthfully said, and with a great deal of confidence, that the Church has become a far safer place for children than it was. This does not mean we can categorically say no child is being abused by a priest or religious today, or in the last few years. But what we can say is that such abuse is far less likely to occur now than in the past.

Of course, it is a tragedy that the Church was not always a safe place for children. It is a disaster that abuse happened at all, and that in dioceses abuse appeared to be especially prevalent in the 1970s and 1980s. But to repeat, the incidence of abuse seems to be a fraction of what it once was.

This much is clear from the 2009 report. It states that 197 allegations were received in the year to March 31, 2010. On the face of it this gives the impression that abuse is still widespread until we read the key passage: ''None of the allegations reported to the National Office originated from children or young people. Some went back to events in the 1950s and 1960s.''

Of the 197 allegations, 87 related to dioceses and the remainder to religious congregations.

But to reinforce the point that the allegations relate to events in the past, and often the fairly distant past, 83 of the alleged offenders are dead.

With regard to the diocesan priests included in the 197 allegations and who are still alive today, all are either retired, in limited ministry where they have no contact with children, have been laicised or are out of ministry entirely. Much the same story applies to accused religious.

Increase

There was actually an increase in the number of allegations against diocesan priests reported to the National Office in the last 12 months compared with 2008. In 2008, 56 allegations were reported compared with 87 in the latest period.

As Ian Elliott himself acknowledges, this is almost certainly due to the stirring up of old memories caused by the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports and the attendant publicity.

Comparing the 2008 and 2009 reports, it is clear how much progress has been made in the intervening year.

Lack of clarity

In the 2008 report, it was stated that there was a ''lack of clarity'' among the dioceses and congregations with regard to the child protection guidelines.

Also in 2008, the National Office divulged a failure on the part of Cloyne diocese to properly abide by the norms. This resulted in the eventual resignation of Bishop John Magee.

Now, however, the National Office is far more confident that the norms are being properly followed and Mr Elliott said this week that he is unaware of parts of the Church that are not following the norms properly as was alleged by Archbishop Martin last week. The report also has praise for the Christian Brothers. The order has now completed a search through its files dating back to the 1930s and reported the result of its findings to the National Office.

The search found 131 individuals against whom at least one complaint of abuse was made in the last 80 years. In a separate press release, the Brothers say that only two of these allegations relate to the last 20 years.

The National Office credits the Christian Brothers for this open and transparent attitude.

The 2009 report also makes clear that several thousand ordinary lay people - parish volunteers - have now been trained in the child protection procedures although astoundingly Clonfert, Killala and Ossory have yet to take part in the training.

The office also states that an audit to ensure the various dioceses and congregations are following the guidelines properly is ongoing. When this is completed it will give further reassurance to the public, to victims and to Catholics that the Church is now a far safer place for children than it was.

It is clear from this report that Mr Elliott's office is performing excellent work, that it is extremely vigilant in ensuring that the child protection norms are being properly followed and that is has the necessary toughness and independent-mindedness to carry out it task.

It is obvious that the Church is still coming to terms with the crimes of the past. The work of bringing justice and healing to victims goes on. More resignations may follow in time and other offenders will face prison.

But it is also clear that as a result of the work of the National Office, its predecessor and its regional counterparts in the rest of the country, that those crimes belong overwhelmingly in the past. This cannot be said often enough.

David Quinn blogs regularly at www.irishcatholic.ie