The head of the Catholic church in Ireland has used his annual St Patrick's Day sermon to apologise for his role in the cover-up of child abuse by one of the country's most notorious paedophile priests.Cardinal Sean Brady is under intense pressure to resign after he admitted attending meetings where two 10-year-olds were forced to sign vows of silence over complaints against Father Brendan Smyth, who continued abusing children for another 18 years.Brady said last weekend that he had taken notes during one meeting and interviewed the children in another. He referred the abuse claims to his superior but did not report them to the police, and it was only in 1994 that Smyth's appalling abuse came to light. Smyth died in prison 13 years ago, while serving 12 years for 74 sexual assaults on children.
The head of the Catholic church in Ireland has used his annual St Patrick's Day sermon to apologise for his role in the cover-up of child abuse by one of the country's most notorious paedophile priests.
Cardinal Sean Brady is under intense pressure to resign after he admitted attending meetings where two 10-year-olds were forced to sign vows of silence over complaints against Father Brendan Smyth, who continued abusing children for another 18 years.
Brady said last weekend that he had taken notes during one meeting and interviewed the children in another. He referred the abuse claims to his superior but did not report them to the police, and it was only in 1994 that Smyth's appalling abuse came to light. Smyth died in prison 13 years ago, while serving 12 years for 74 sexual assaults on children.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants more openness about child abuse by Catholic priests in Germany, but ruled out a specific inquiry into the Church. Meanwhile, the pope is to address Irish Catholics on similar issues. Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for more details to be made public about the sexual abuse of children within the Roman Catholic Church, but insisted that any crimes that have taken place reflect a wider problem in society. In a speech to parliament Merkel ruled out the idea of a specific investigation into the clergy. She agreed with clerics such as the head of Germany's Catholic Church, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, that abuse should be treated as a wider issue. "We all agree that sexual abuse against children is a despicable crime," said Merkel. "There is only one way for society to come clean and that is truth and clarity about everything that has happened. "Even if the first cases we've heard about are from the Catholic Church, it doesn't make any sense to limit this to one group," said Merkel. "It's happened in many parts of society." Since the beginning of the year, more than 150 cases of sexual abuse in Catholic institutions have come to light, dating as far back as the 1950s.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for more details to be made public about the sexual abuse of children within the Roman Catholic Church, but insisted that any crimes that have taken place reflect a wider problem in society.
In a speech to parliament Merkel ruled out the idea of a specific investigation into the clergy. She agreed with clerics such as the head of Germany's Catholic Church, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, that abuse should be treated as a wider issue.
"We all agree that sexual abuse against children is a despicable crime," said Merkel. "There is only one way for society to come clean and that is truth and clarity about everything that has happened.
"Even if the first cases we've heard about are from the Catholic Church, it doesn't make any sense to limit this to one group," said Merkel. "It's happened in many parts of society."
Since the beginning of the year, more than 150 cases of sexual abuse in Catholic institutions have come to light, dating as far back as the 1950s.
