The Vatican has dismissed attempts to link Pope Benedict XVI to a raft of child sex abuse revelations in Germany, denying accusations that he had once tried to cover up the actions of pedophile priests. In a reaction to the widening pedophile scandal in Germany, the Vatican has rallied around the pontiff, claiming that "certain elements" had launched a targeted campaign to discredit the Catholic Church. "It is clearly evident that in the past few days there have been some in Regensburg and Munich who, with a certain dogged determination, have sought details to personally implicate the Holy Father in the abuse issues," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi. "To any observer it is clear that these attempts have failed," he added.The pope's former diocese in Bavaria on Friday said he was involved in a decision in 1980 to move a priest who was suspected of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy. Instead of undergoing therapy, the priest was assigned to a Munich parish without restrictions. Six years later, the priest was given a suspended jail sentence for child sex offenses during that period.
In a reaction to the widening pedophile scandal in Germany, the Vatican has rallied around the pontiff, claiming that "certain elements" had launched a targeted campaign to discredit the Catholic Church.
"It is clearly evident that in the past few days there have been some in Regensburg and Munich who, with a certain dogged determination, have sought details to personally implicate the Holy Father in the abuse issues," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.
"To any observer it is clear that these attempts have failed," he added.
The pope's former diocese in Bavaria on Friday said he was involved in a decision in 1980 to move a priest who was suspected of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy.
Instead of undergoing therapy, the priest was assigned to a Munich parish without restrictions. Six years later, the priest was given a suspended jail sentence for child sex offenses during that period.
ROME -- As new details emerged on allegations of child sexual abuse by priests in the Munich archdiocese then led by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican spoke out on Saturday to protect the pope against what it called an aggressive campaign against him in his native Germany. At the same time, a high-ranking Vatican official overseeing internal investigations on Saturday acknowledged that 3,000 cases of suspected abuse of minors had come to its attention in the past decade, of which 20 percent had been brought to trial in Vatican courts. In a note read on Vatican Radio on Saturday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said it was "evident that in recent days there are those who have tried, with a certain aggressive tenacity, in Regensburg and in Munich, to find elements to involve the Holy Father personally in issues of abuse." He added, "It is clear that those efforts have failed." In Germany, a man who said he was sexually abused by a priest there in 1979 said Saturday that church officials had told him then that the priest would not be allowed to work with children again. Instead, the priest was allowed, under Benedict's watch, to resume full duties almost immediately, where he went on to abuse more children.
ROME -- As new details emerged on allegations of child sexual abuse by priests in the Munich archdiocese then led by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican spoke out on Saturday to protect the pope against what it called an aggressive campaign against him in his native Germany.
At the same time, a high-ranking Vatican official overseeing internal investigations on Saturday acknowledged that 3,000 cases of suspected abuse of minors had come to its attention in the past decade, of which 20 percent had been brought to trial in Vatican courts.
In a note read on Vatican Radio on Saturday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said it was "evident that in recent days there are those who have tried, with a certain aggressive tenacity, in Regensburg and in Munich, to find elements to involve the Holy Father personally in issues of abuse." He added, "It is clear that those efforts have failed."
In Germany, a man who said he was sexually abused by a priest there in 1979 said Saturday that church officials had told him then that the priest would not be allowed to work with children again. Instead, the priest was allowed, under Benedict's watch, to resume full duties almost immediately, where he went on to abuse more children.
