Campaigners for the victims of sexual abuse in Ireland claimed the Pope's letter failed to address the "core issue" of why the perpetrators were protected.

Sexual abuse charity One in Four said the Catholic Church was "still in denial", while a survivor of abuse said the apology did not address the cover-up.

One in Four director Maeve Lewis said: “Victims were hoping for an acknowledgement of the scurrilous ways in which they have been treated as they attempted to bring their experiences of abuse to the attention of the church authorities.

“Pope Benedict has passed up a glorious opportunity to address the core issue in the clerical sexual abuse scandal: the deliberate policy of the Catholic Church at the highest levels to protect sex offenders, thereby endangering children.

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Filed under: * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • Ministry of the Ordained • * Culture-Watch • Children • Sexuality • * International News & Commentary • England / UK • --Ireland • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Roman Catholic • Pope Benedict XVI • * Theology • Ethics / Moral Theology • Pastoral Theology

1. rugbyplayingpriest wrote: As Damian thomson reports the Times made this point a full hour before the text was actually available….draw your own conclusions from that. There is a lot of evil at play in all of this and not all involves children, some is about a liberal media hellbent on using a foul truth concerning a small minority to batter an entire church to it’s knees, regardless of the majority of fine holy men they destroy in the process. But then having dared to stand up to harriet harmon there was desire for punishment methinks March 20, 3:44 pm | [comment link]

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