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In a statement issued after a two-day meeting with the bishops of the Irish Church, Pope Benedict described child abuse as “a heinous crime and a grave sin”.
However, doubts remain about the church’s openness after the papal envoy in Dublin declined to give evidence to a parliamentary inquiry there, the Guardian reports.
“The Holy Father observed that the sexual abuse of children and young people is not only a heinous crime, but also a grave sin which offends God and wounds the dignity of the human person created in his image,” the statement said.
“While realising that the painful situation will not be resolved quickly [the pope] challenged the bishops to address the problems of the past with determination and resolve and to face the crisis with honesty and courage.”
In Dublin, news that the papal nuncio in Ireland, Cardinal Giuseppe Leanza, has refused to appear before a parliamentary inquiry was met with anger.
Cardinal Leanza said in a letter last week that “it is not the practice of the Holy See that apostolic nuncios appear before parliamentary commissions”. He has also been seen as ignoring requests from earlier official Irish investigations to assist them.
FULL STORY
Pope Benedict lambasts Irish Catholic church over ‘heinous’ child sex abuse (The Guardian)
STATEMENT
Communique on papal meeting with Irish bishops (VIS)
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