IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

A Catholic Bishop who said he used to think paedophilia was friendship gone too far has apologised.

Bishop of Clonfert John Kirby made the remarks after a church child abuse watchdog revealed he moved two priests from parish-to-parish after allegations were made against them.

In a public letter sent to 24 parishes in east Galway and parts of Roscommon and Offaly, the Bishop admitted he had made a mistake over the transfers and the subsequent paedophilia reference.

“I may have given the general impression that I was somehow minimising the gravity of the criminal activity which we know to be child sexual abuse,” he said.

“This was never my intention and I wish to apologise, especially to all survivors, on this point.