ABC News (Australia)
December 12, 2009
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/12/2769793.htm?section=world
Pope Benedict XVI has apologised once again for the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, this time directing harsh words to Irish clergy.
The Vatican issued a statement saying the Pope felt "outrage, betrayal and shame" over the scandal and would write to the Irish people about sexual abuse.
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| Pope Benedict will write to the Irish people about sexual abuse. Photo by Vincenzo Pinto |
Meanwhile, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor has called for the Pope to step down over his "contemptible silence" on the Irish government report, that said church leaders covered up widespread sexual abuse of children for 30 years.
"Popes have had no problem voicing their opinions when we wanted contraception or divorce... no problem criticising The Da Vinci Code. No problem criticising Naomi Campbell for wearing a bejewelled cross," O'Connor said.
"Yet when it comes to the evils done by paedophiles dressed as priests, they are silent... they stand for nothing now but evil."
Pope Benedict met Friday at his request with Ireland's top Catholic churchmen, primate of all-Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady and Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
Four archbishops and other senior church officials cited in the government report face growing pressure to resign, but the meeting did not discuss the future of those implicated in the scandal, the Vatican said.
The meeting followed the publication last month of the report which concluded that Dublin archbishops concealed clerical abuse and failed to inform police of their crimes over a period of more than three decades.
One priest admitted to sexually abusing more than 100 children, while another confessed that he had abused children on a fortnightly basis over 25 years.
The Pope has already apologised on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church for the actions of paedophile priests in the United States, Australia and Canada.
The Vatican statement said the Catholic 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".
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