Report of Vatican's investigation into Ireland’s clergy sex abuse expected by early 2012

(June 06, 2011) The report of the Vatican’s investigation into the Irish Church's past handling of cases of sexual abuse of minors by the clergy and current procedures for preventing abuse will be made public at the start of 2012, a Vatican communiqué said on Monday. The enquiry, known as the Apostolic Visitation was announced by Pope Benedict XVI in his Pastoral Letter of March 19, 2010 to the Catholics of Ireland saying it was mean to “assist the local Church on her path of renewal”. The apostolic visitators appointed by the Pope, officially began their enquiry of four Irish archdioceses, Irish seminaries and religious orders on Nov. 11. The Vatican said that by early 2012, the Holy See will publish an overall synthesis indicating the results and the future prospects highlighted by the Visitation. The Vatican communiqué said the first phase of this Apostolic Visitation is over and the reports have been examined by competent Vatican offices entrusted with the task. An initial evaluation of these reports says that the visitators have been able to arrive at a sufficiently complete picture of the situation of the Irish Church with regard to the sex scandal and that no further visitation is needed for the Irish dioceses and seminaries. However, after examining responses to questionnaires sent to all religious institutes, the Vatican feels that visits to some religious communities will be needed.