Finlay: Abuse summit 'shockingly anti-climactic'

The Chief Executive of Barnardos has condemned the outcome of the Irish Bishops' meeting with the Pope as "shockingly anti-climactic".

After two days of discussions which Cardinal Sean Brady has described as "intense", the Pope described child sexual abuse as a heinous crime and a grave sin.

Groups who provide support to abuse survivors have expressed outrage that Benedict the 16th did not actually apologise, nor acknowledge the clerical cover-up of abuse.

Fergus Finlay of children's charity Barnardo's said he had hoped the Pope might come to Ireland to address the issue.

"There's no outward sign of any change, any repentance, any atonement…It's all words," Mr Finlay said.