VATICAN CITY — The Vatican issued a statement following Pope Benedict XVI’s 90-minute meeting today with Vatican officials and Irish church leaders, saying the pope shared the “sense of outrage, betrayal and shame” felt by Irish Catholics over decades of priestly sex abuse cases.
Here is the text of the Vatican statement:
Today the Holy Father held a meeting with senior Irish Bishops and high-ranking members of the Roman Curia. He listened to their concerns and discussed with them the traumatic events that were presented in the Irish Commission of Investigation’s Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
After careful study of the Report, the Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents. He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large.
The Holy Father shares the outrage, betrayal and shame felt by so many of the faithful in Ireland, and he is united with them in prayer at this difficult time in the life of the Church.
His Holiness asks Catholics in Ireland and throughout the world to join him in praying for the victims, their families and all those affected by these heinous crimes.
He assures all concerned that the Church will continue to follow this grave matter with the closest attention in order to understand better how these shameful events came to pass and how best to develop effective and secure strategies to prevent any recurrence.
The Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the Report, including questions concerning the governance of local Church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children.
The Holy Father intends to address a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Ireland in which he will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation.
Finally, His Holiness encourages all those who have dedicated their lives in generous service to children to persevere in their good works in imitation of Christ the Good Shepherd.
CNS Blog 
The book “Jesus of Nazareth” by Pope Benedict is
a must read to understand more fully our Catholic
faith and for study. I hope everyone in Ireland and
the world reads it especially in Seminaries.
The Church in America would have been exposed, with cause and context, and then healed much faster had B16 been at the helm. As it was, JPII was too ill to effectively respond to our own scandal.
Why the John Jay institute is allowed to nuance and distance the Church from the cause is still a denial of truth. It is what it is: a rampant homosexual problem heretofore not seen in the history of the Church. 80% of reports were of pedastery and NOT pedophilia. Vocational directors seemingly recruited those who were either predisposed to this or did not fight it for fear of reprisal.
Sex scandals have always been with us but, the acquiescing of the Church to secular sexual mores beginning in the 50’s through the 70’s; the elevation of dissenting bishops (especially to Humanae Vitae) in positions to protect this scourge and many of whom are STILL with us; the fear of other priests & seminarians to expose those responsible laid the groundwork for this stench. …
Call the problem by it’s real name: Homosexuality. It does not build up the Body of Christ. It destroys.