Vatican Reports On Child Abuse

The Vatican has spoken out against clergy who are guilty of child abuse across Ireland.

In a new report published today the Vatican have said that they are are "dismayed and regretful" over the "sinful and criminal acts" that have taken place across Ireland in the last 70 years and admitted that "innocent young people" were abused.

They have called for a "new focus on the laity" within the Irish Catholic Church.

Meanwhile the report also focuses on the priests who feel they have been tainted by the actions of others who have been found guilty of child abuse.

"Bishops and superiors have often felt isolated as they sought to confront the wave of indignation and, at times, they have found it difficult to agree on a common line of action," the report said.

The reports calls for greater orthodoxy on seminaries, to report on the church’s dealings with survivors of abuse and the current child protection policies.

The Background

This is a report was originally promised two years ago by Pope Benedict XVI.

The Pope expressed horror and dismay in the wake of the Ryan and Murphy reports, which revealed a 70-year history child abuse by a significant number of priests, brothers and nuns and cover-ups by their religious superiors.

The Pope assigned six teams to formally assess the implications of the abuse scandals in each of the country's four archdioceses, in religious orders and congregations based in Ireland and abroad.

Some of the teams met victims and concerned Catholics in advertised locations, as well as individual survivors behind closed doors.

(LB/GK)