Скачать или смотреть Vatican rejects Irish criticism over sex abuse

(3 Sep 2011)
1. Wide of Vatican spokesperson Reverend Federico Lombardi at news conference
2. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Reverend Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesperson:
"Our premise is to acknowledge the seriousness of what''s happened, and the scope of the abuses perpetrated and, as specifically stated in the Cloyne report, the importance of the negligence by the competent authorities in dealing with the abuses."
3. Cutaway copy of the Vatican bulletin
4. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Reverend Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesperson:
"We reject the statement that said there had been obstructions by the Vatican to an enquiry which was requested by the Irish authorities, as it didn''t say anything about any specific impediments, so we reject the accusation as groundless. There isn''t any proof of any occasion in which the Vatican has put forward obstructions or difficulties to the Cloyne inquiry, or any other inquiry."
5. Cutaway of journalist''s hand
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gerard O''Connell, Vatican correspondent for www.vaticaninsider.com:
"But I think the government wanted a clear response to saying it had undermined the structures of the Irish state and the Irish church in dealing with the abuse of children. The vatican says there is no proof of this, they said these charges are without foundation."
7. Tilt up Vatican bulletin
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gerard O''Connell, Vatican correspondent for www.vaticaninsider.com:
"The Vatican points out that there was grave negligence by the bishop in the diocese, who had been secretary to three popes, in dealing with this."
9. Wide exterior of Saint Peter''s Basilica
STORYLINE
The Vatican on Saturday vigorously rejected claims it sabotaged efforts by Irish bishops to report priests who sexually abused children to police and accused the Irish prime minister of making an "unfounded" attack against the Holy See.
The Vatican issued a lengthy response to the Irish government following Prime Minister Enda Kenny''s unprecedented July 20 denunciation of the Vatican''s handling of abuse.
Kenny''s speech followed the publication of a government-mandated independent report into the diocese of Cloyne, which found that the Vatican had undermined
attempts by Irish bishops to protect children from predator priests.
"Our premise is to acknowledge the seriousness of what''s happened, the scope of the perpetrated abuses and, as specifically stated in the Cloyne report, the importance of the role played by the negligence of competent authorities in dealing with the abuses," said Vatican spokesperson Reverend Federico Lombardi.
The Cloyne document was the fourth such report to come out in recent years on the colossal scale of priestly sex abuse and cover-up in Ireland.
But it was the first to squarely find the Vatican culpable in promoting the culture of secrecy and cover-up that kept abusers in ministry and able to prey on more children.
"We reject the statement that said there had been obstructions by the Vatican to an enquiry which was asked for by Irish authorities, as it didn''t say anything about any specific impeding action, so we reject the accusation as groundless," Lombardi said.
"There isn''t any proof of any occasion in which the Vatican has put forward obstructions or difficulties to the Cloyne inquiry, or any other inquiry," explained Lombardi.
The dispute has seriously damaged relations between the Vatican and staunchly Roman Catholic Ireland, with the Vatican recalling its ambassador, and it has prompted the already abuse-weary Irish faithful to demand some accountability from Rome.

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