IRELAND
Irish Independent
By Caroline Crawford
Monday September 17 2012
A CATHOLIC bishop who described paedophilia as “a friendship that had crossed a boundary line” has apologised for his remarks.
In a special message read at Masses throughout the Clonfert diocese yesterday, Bishop John Kirby said he had never intended to minimise the gravity of the crime and apologised especially to survivors of child abuse.
Despite his apology, the bishop at no stage said he was considering his position.
Instead, he claimed that his comments had been taken out of context.
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