Apr
18
Cardinal: John Paul II supported protection of priest accused of abusa67e
Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, 80, said Friday before a group gathered at the Catholic University of Murcia, Spain, who consulted the sending of the letter to John Paul II and showed him the document, according to reports from Internet sites of Truth and other Spanish newspapers published on Saturday.
Castrillon Hoyos said that the pontiff was authorized to send to other bishops around the world. The audience applauded the comments of the retired cardinal, according to The Truth.
2001 The letter praised the Bishop Pierre Pican, who was sentenced to three months imprisonment, which was suspended for refusing to give information about Rene Bissey cleric, said the press. Bissey was sentenced to 18 years in prison for abusing 11 minors.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters gathered in Malta, where Pope Benedict XVI is visiting , would not comment on the comments of Cardinal retired after he had posed questions about the Spanish press reports.
Lombardi added that only repeats what he said in the past: Before his appointment as Pope, Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger was head of the Vatican office in charge of consolidating control over all sexual abuse cases involving clergy.
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The Associated Press journalist Harold Heckle contributed to this report.
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