BBC News
June 6, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13668627
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| The inquiry panel included Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor |
The Apostolic Visitation set up by the Pope last year has completed its first phase.
Pope Benedict announced the visitation in March of last year in a pastoral letter to Catholics in Ireland.
It followed the publication of reports into abuse in Catholic institutions and in the Dublin archdiocese.
The inquiry panel - made up of five senior prelates - held meetings across Northern Ireland and the Republic, including with victims of abuse.
The panel was made up of Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor - the retired archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal O'Malley, of Boston, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, of New York, Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto, and Archbishop Terence Prendergast SJ, Ottawa.
In a statement on Monday, the Catholic Church said: "The visitation to the four metropolitan archdioceses, the seminaries and the religious institutes has been very useful, thanks to the co-operation of everyone who took part in this initiative.
"The Holy Father's sincere thanks goes to them, especially to the four metropolitan archbishops."
It added: "As far as the Irish dioceses and seminaries are concerned, the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for Catholic Education do not envisage further Apostolic Visitations.
"Having encountered various organizations and individuals, the visitators have been able to arrive at a sufficiently complete picture of the situation of the Irish Church with respect to the areas under investigation."
It said the Holy See would publish an "overall synthesis" by early next year indicating the results and the future prospects highlighted by the visitation.
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