Pope as guilty as bishops, say abuse groups

THE Pope’s failure to accept accountability for the role of the Catholic Church in recklessly endangering children makes him just as guilty as the Irish bishops who covered up child abuse, victims’ groups say.

Following a meeting in the Vatican with Cardinal Seán Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, the Vatican said Pope Benedict was “disturbed and distressed” by the contents of the Murphy Report, which revealed how hundreds of complaints of abuse were covered up by senior clergy.

However, the Pope’s expressions of “profound regret” were last night described as wholly inadequate and likely to cause further distress to the thousands of people who were abused.