Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay has described as "a childish excuse" comments from Bishop of Clonfert John Kirby that he previously regarded paedophilia as a "friendship that crossed a boundary line".

Ian Elliot, the head of the Catholic Church's own watchdog on child protection measures, has detailed the policies now in place to prevent child abuse.

The Bishop of Clonfert has today apologised for moving two priests from one parish to another in the 1990s after they abused children.

Seven reports into child safe-guarding practices in the Catholic church will be published this morning.

Investigations into child protection practices in the diocese of Cork and Ross, Limerick, Clonfert and Kildare, and Leighlin will be published by the Church today.

The diocese of Cork and Ross will start a recruitment drive in the coming months aimed at encouraging both married and unmarried parishioners to join the clergy by becoming deacons.

Communities will be involved in any plans to radically reorganise the amount of dioceses in this country, according to the summary report presented by the Vatican team who visited the country last year.

THE Department of Education has spent over €38 million buying school sites from organs of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

JUST seven of the 26 Catholic bishops have responded to a question on whether or not their diocese ever operated a secret oath policy.

GROUPS that provide support for those abused by Irish Catholic clerics last night called on all bishops named in the Murphy report to resign.

SAVING souls in driving rain and howling wind took an amount of missionary zeal at the opening day of the national and world ploughing championships at Grangeford, Tullow, Co Carlow, yesterday.

SAVING souls in driving rain and howling wind took an amount of missionary zeal at the opening day of the national and world ploughing championships at Grangeford, Tullow, Co Carlow, yesterday.

THE Dean of Cork has been elected the next Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, replacing Bishop Peter Barrett, who resigned in January after separating from his wife, Ann.

A GROUP of nuns are turning Irish missionary habits on their head by coming to Ireland from Africa to work with marginalised communities.

LAST week’s Sunday Tribune featured a not-very-revealing article about the contenders to succeed Desmond Connell as Archbishop of Dublin, and installed the Bishop of Derry, Dr Séamus Hegarty, as the favourite.

THE Taoiseach and Justice minister were among the guests at a special ceremony installing the new bishop of Kildare and Leighlin.

A new bishop has been appointed to the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.