'Outraged' Pope summons Ireland's Roman Catholic bishops to Vatican over sex abuse scandal | BBC

The Report of the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin, published in November, found the Church had "obsessively" hidden child abuse from 1975 to 2004, and operated a policy of "don't ask, don't tell".

Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff |  Int'l Desk
Source & Credit: BBC | UK |
By Christopher Landau | BBC religious affairs correspondent

Pope to meet Irish bishops on child abuse scandal

Ireland's Roman Catholic bishops are preparing for an unprecedented meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

They have been invited by the Pope to discuss the Irish Church's response to the child sex abuse scandal.

Four bishops criticised for failing to address concerns about abuse have already resigned, but victims say more must be done to restore public trust.

Last year, a report was highly critical of the Dublin Archdiocese's handling of priests who were suspected sex abusers.

The Murphy Commission laid bare a culture of concealment where Church leaders prioritised the protection of their own institution above that of vulnerable children in their care, and all too often failed to pass on details to the police.

The Pope has said he is "disturbed and distressed" by the report and shares the "outrage, betrayal and shame" felt by Irish people.

'Enormous injustice'

BBC religious affairs correspondent Christopher Landau says bishops from a particular country normally visit the Vatican around once every five years.

But the Pope is summoning Ireland's bishops for a special two-day meeting, specifically to address the issue that has severely undermined Catholicism's standing there, our correspondent says. [more...]



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