Abuse: Irish letter on Saturday, CDF guidelines underway, Zollitsch defends Pope

As clerical abuse stories continue to dominate the news — with Ireland’s Cardinal Sean Brady apologising for abuse yesterday amidst calls for his resignation while a senior Irish churchman said that he would not necessarily report an abusive priest to the police on a television programme — the Vatican is gearing into action.

John Allen offers a really good piece explaining Pope Benedict’s attitudes to clerical abuse and why the case in his former diocese  of Munich matters to the way in which he can effectively tackle the problem.

Yesterday the Holy See announced the publication of the Pope’s Letter to the Irish Bishops which will be addressing the Irish abuse crisis, but is understood to address abuse on a wider level as scandals unfold across Europe and now Brazil.  The Pope will sign it on Friday and it is due to appear on Saturday in English and Italian. Rome watchers expected it to be published in Holy Week, so it looks like the Pope — who is slow and considered — is trying to move as quickly as he can on this.

“As you know”, said Pope Benedict XVI announcing the letter, “in recent months the Church in Ireland has been severely shaken as a result of the child abuse crisis. As a sign of my deep concern I have written a Pastoral Letter dealing with this painful situation. I will sign it on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the guardian of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church, and send it soon after. I ask all of you to read it for yourselves, with an open heart and in a spirit of faith. My hope is that it will help in the process of repentance, healing and renewal”.