Pope lambasts Irish Catholic church over 'heinous' child sex abuse. Okay. And now?

Pope Benedict XVI gave the bishops of the Irish Catholic church a public dressing down at the Vatican today over the "heinous" child abuse scandal that has capsized the church's moral authority in Ireland.

However, doubts remain about the church's openness after the papal envoy in Dublin declined to give evidence to a parliamentary inquiry there.

After two days of discussions in the Vatican, during which each of the 24 Irish bishops was called in separately and given seven minutes to explain his conduct, an official statement was issued. More...

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