Coalition: Vatican gave pretext for clerics to avoid co-operation

A CONFIDENTIAL 1997 Vatican letter did encourage some clerics not to co-operate fully with the state in protecting children, the Government has insisted.

The letter “provided a pretext” for clerics to “evade full co-operation”, the Coalition said last night.

In a strongly worded statement on the Vatican’s response to the Cloyne report, the Government stood over its criticisms of the Holy See.