Pope Names Team to Investigate Abuse in Ireland

By RACHEL DONADIO
May 31, 2010

LinkedinDiggFacebookMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink. ROME — In one of his most concrete actions since a sexual abuse scandal began sweeping the Catholic Church in Europe, Pope Benedict XVI on Monday appointed a high-profile team of prelates, including the archbishop of New York, to investigate Irish dioceses and seminaries.

The pope had announced that he would open the investigation in a strong letter to Irish Catholics in March, in which he expressed “shame and remorse” for “sinful and criminal” acts committed by members of the clergy, following two scathing Irish government reports documenting widespread abuse in church-run schools and other institutions.

On Monday the pope also accepted the resignation of Richard Burke, an Irish-born archbishop in Benin City, Nigeria, who had been suspended after he acknowledged having a 20-year relationship with a woman. In a statement, the bishop apologized and denied accusations of child abuse. He said the sexual relationship began when the woman was 21. The woman has said it began when she was 14. the rest