AUSTRALIA
Can-India
Sydney, Feb 7 (IANS) Late Pope John Paul II was aware of priests sexually abusing children, and of efforts by the Catholic Church to cover up the allegations, an American canon lawyer claimed on Tuesday.
Thomas Doyle, an expert on cases of sexual abuse by the clergy, said this while testifying at a hearing here in Australia, Efe news reported.
Doyle is deposing before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in public and religious institutions.
He also said that in 1985 at least four US dioceses sent reports to the Vatican on child sexual abuse by priests.
One of these reports were prepared by Doyle himself, who requested a bishop be sent down to Luisiana to deal with cases of paedophilia.
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