The Vatican has strongly rejected accusations that it sabotaged attempts by Irish bishops to report Roman Catholic paedophile priests to the police. The Vatican's 24-page rebuttal came after the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny denounced the Church in July for its handling of such cases. Mr Kenny's comments followed an investigation into accusations relating to the Irish diocese of Cloyne. From Rome, David Willey reports.

有人指控梵蒂冈妨碍爱尔兰主教向警察举报罗马天主教恋童癖神父。梵蒂冈对该指控提出强烈谴责。七月份，爱尔兰总理恩达·肯尼(Enda Kenny)抨击了教堂对这类案件的处理，梵蒂冈长达24页的文件对此进行反驳。肯尼在对爱尔兰Cloyne教区的相关指控进行了调查之后发表了该评论。David Willey在罗马报道。

The Vatican repeated the Pope's previous apology on behalf of Irish bishops for what it said had been their very serious and disturbing failings in dealing with the child sex abuse scandal in the diocese of Cloyne. It said the Church was "sorry and ashamed" for the terrible sufferings which the victims of abuse and their families had had. The statement handed to the Irish charge d'affaires in Rome said the Vatican also understood the depth of public anger and frustration, which had found expression in the prime minister's speech to parliament last July. But at the same time, the Holy See vigorously rejected accusations made in the Irish parliament that it had undermined local Irish child protection laws.