Cardinal pledges crackdown on paedophile priests

US Catholic Church today began the holiest week of its year with its leading cleric promising to get tough on child-abusing priests.

But New York’s Cardinal Edward Egan failed to meet the demands of his flock that all alleged paedophile priests be reported to civil authorities in his Palm Sunday message to the city’s 2.4 million Catholics, despite an opinion poll saying nine out of 10 wanted the move.