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  Italian Press Leads with Claims against Benedict

Gulf Times
April 10, 2010

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=354408&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Italy's press were united yesterday in their coverage of the accusations against Pope Benedict XVI over his reticence in the paedophilia scandal, underlining the gravity of the situation for the Vatican.

"These are the most turbulent times for the church, the Vatican is devastated by the paedophilia scandal, the accusations are continuing to pour in," La Repubblica said.

The daily leads with a letter by Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope who was a senior Vatican official at the time, on concerns raised over the conduct of priest Stephen Kiesle from California's Oakland diocese in the 1980s.

In his letter from 1985, the future Pope stated that he was reluctant to take action immediately because he needed to consider the effect it would have on the "good of the Universal Church".

"The present difficulties of the church and the Pope to emerge from this shower of accusations that appears to be flooding them are due to a flawed line of defence," La Stampa said in its editorial.

The only response, the daily argued, is "total transparency, without exception for anyone, in any circumstance".

"Church and abuse: accusations from the US over a letter signed Ratzinger", Corriere della Sera announced on its front page, whilst Il Messaggero also led with the same subject.

Large-scale paedophilia scandals have rocked the churches of Ireland, Austria, the US and the pope's native Germany in recent months.

The 82-year-old Pontiff has himself faced allegations that he failed to take action against predator priests when he served as the Vatican's watchdog for morals and doctrinal issues and earlier as the archbishop of Munich.

 
 

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