A conservative religious order that enjoyed the favour of Pope John Paul II has apologised to victims of sexual abuse by its founder.

Former students of a US priest suspected of molesting up to 200 deaf boys have given details of his alleged offences against them.

TOP Vatican officials, including the future Pope Benedict XVI, did not react to letters about an American priest who molested as many as 200 deaf school children.

A US Roman Catholic archbishop warned a top Vatican office led by the future Pope Benedict XVI about a priest who may have molested as many as 200 deaf boys, according to documents obtained by The New York Times, but the priest never was defrocked.

Germany’s sex abuse scandal has now reached Pope Benedict XVI: His former archdiocese disclosed that while he was archbishop a suspected paedophile priest was transferred to a job where he later abused children.