Vatican Stonewalled Irish Sex-Abuse Investigation

Holy See was 'offended' by Dublin's request for info
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 11, 2010 9:09 AM CST
Vatican Stonewalled Irish Sex-Abuse Investigation
An aerial view of the Vatican with St. Peter's Basilica is seen in this 2003 file photo made available Friday Feb. 4, 2005.   (PLINIO LEPRI)

Ireland's 2009 sex-abuse commission was an excruciating national cleansing—but when the Vatican was called on to help air the clergy's part in the scandal it balked, refusing to let its officials testify. The Holy See even went so far as say many were "offended" by requests for information, according to WikiLeaks' latest round of diplomatic cables, and that Dublin had "failed to respect and protect Vatican sovereignty during the investigations." The Irish government caved to the stonewalling.

The Vatican said today the US diplomatic cables, published by the Guardian and others, are not an "expression" of the Holy See. Other cables detailed the "worst crisis in 150 years" between the Anglican Church and Benedict after he invited estranged Anglicans to rejoin the Catholic Church. (More Wikileaks diplomatic cables stories.)

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