The Vatican has moved to distance the Pope from the remarks of his personal preacher, hours after he compared allegations that the pontiff had covered up sex abuse cases to the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism”.

A reform of Northern Ireland’s current adult protection infrastructure has been unveiled by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).

A NEW £3.5m state of the art Assessment and Resource Centre for clients with a range of disabilities in Lisburn has been officially opened by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey.

Campaigners had hoped that after his seven page letter on Saturday to Irish victims of child abusing priests in which he said he was “truly sorry” the Pope would use his weekly sermon to apologise in public.

The leader of Catholics in England and Wales has staunchly defended the Pope over his handling of the case of a US priest suspected of abusing children.

AS the Catholic Church reels from a week of accusations regarding child abuse and secret payments to victims, Newtownstewart parish priest Fr Stephen Kearney believes it may not be the last of the “bad news.”

Pope Benedict XVI has apologised to victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland. In a pastoral letter to Irish Catholics, he acknowledged the sense of betrayal in the Church felt by victims and their families.

Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral letter to Ireland’s Catholics has failed to arrest the scandal engulfing the church, with pressure growing for the resignation of bishops who were in positions of authority during the paedophile priest cover-up.

Pressure for more resignations among Ireland’s Roman Catholic hierarchy continued to grow yesterday when a bishop admitted that he had failed to report a paedophile priest to the police.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey today launched a new regional directory of services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse.