RTE News [Ireland]
October 2, 2006
http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1002/pope.html
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has rejected an allegation that Pope Benedict XVI was responsible for imposing a vow of secrecy on victims of clerical sexual abuse.
Last night's BBC Panorama programme claimed that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had threatened all witnesses to such abuse with excommunication if they reported the crime to state - or other non-Church - bodies.
The programme alleged that a document which is said to outline a procedure for dealing with child sex abuse was enforced for 20 years by Cardinal Ratzinger.
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| Diarmuid Martin Rejected BBC allegation |
Dr Maurice Dooley, a professor in Canon Law said the interpretation of the document was misleading.
In Britain, one archbishop said the documentary was a 'deeply prejudiced attack' against the Pope.
Speaking on behalf of the bishops of England and Wales, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Birmingham, said the programme had misrepresented confidential Vatican papers to back up its claims.
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