Senior Irish clergy called to Rome

The country's most senior clergymen have been called to Rome to discuss final preparations for a Vatican investigation of the Catholic Church here, which is due to get underway within the next month.

According to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Cardinal Sean Brady, Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop Dermot Clifford of Cashel and Emly, and Tuam’s Archbishop Michael Neary will travel to Rome next week.

Pope Benedict announced in March that he was planning to send a high powered delegation to Ireland in the wake of the reports into the Church’s mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse.

It is expected that the investigation will begin soon after the next week's meeting.