Cardinal says Church failed victims of abuse by priests
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Catholic Church failed to show "sufficient compassion" in the past for children abused by its priests, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, said last night.
The Cardinal, who has been accused of turning a blind eye to paedophile priests when he was Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, admitted he made a "grave" mistake in his handling of one case. But he insisted he would not resign even if faced with prosecution for criminal negligence.
Speaking for the first time since Michael Hill, a priest from his former diocese, was jailed last month for a series of sex offences, the cardinal said the Church may have been guilty of preserving its reputation rather than caring for victims. He added that he had personally been "naive" and "ignorant" about the issue.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments