BishopAccountability.org
	Pope ‘Deeply Disturbed and Distressed’ by Irish Abuse (Update1) By Louisa Fahy Bloomberg December 11, 2009 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=a6tH8lCm3hsg Bloomberg -- Pope Benedict XVI was "deeply disturbed and distressed" by a report that said Roman Catholic Church authorities covered up abuse of children by priests in Ireland and he plans to write a letter to the Irish people. The pope shares the "outrage, betrayal and shame" felt by people after the publication of the report and takes the issues raised very seriously, the Vatican said in a statement today. The report, the second this year to document abuse of children by clerics in Ireland, said senior clergy moved priests to a different location when told of allegations. It examined how the church handled claims of sex abuse against a sample of 46 priests in the Dublin diocese between 1975 and 2004. "The church will continue to follow this grave matter with the closest attention in order to understand better how these shameful events came to pass and how best to develop effective and secure strategies to prevent any recurrence," the Vatican said in the statement. The pope plans to write a pastoral letter indicating what action will be taken in response to the situation, it said.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.