Canadian prelate offers to resign

THE archbishop of Newfoundland has tendered his resignation in the wake of a report alleging widespread child sex abuse among clergy in the Canadian diocese.
Describing the church as "sinful", Archbishop Alphonsus Penney told the victims and their relatives of his regret at what had happened. More than 20 priests and
associates of the church have been brought before the courts on charges of sexually abusing boys over the past two and a half years.
"We are sorry for the times you were not believed, were not supported or were ostracised in any way in our community," the archbishop said. "Our anger, our pain, our shame and our vulnerability are clear to
the whole world."
The report, which is 700 pages long, urges the Canadian bishops' conference to enquire into the effects of imposing celibacy on priests. "Difficulties in the development of intimate, mature, responsible celibate relationships combined with a failure of understanding of the needs of priests as human beings, create an increasing isolation of the priesthood," it claimed.
Archbishop Penney had taken no decisive or effective steps to investigate the allegations of sex abuse or to alert local communities to the possible danger to their children. The report suggests that all the priests in Newfoundland take a six month sabbatical to reflect on the nature of their ministeries.