SESSION 25: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL

SESSION 25: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL

PRESSURE ON CATHOLIC CHURCH MOUNTING

Text taken and adapted from:
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

The text:

The Catholic Church is facing a huge number of lawsuits over claims of sexual abuse by priests. Added to this scandal are calls for Pope Benedict XVI to resign. News sources say the Pope knew about many of the cases of sexual abuse and rape but covered it up for decades. One American newspaper called this crisis the largest faced by the Church in centuries. The allegations centre on the Pope’s role as head of the Vatican office monitoring priestly misconduct. The Pope was then cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Many people now say he failed to punish a priest called Lawrence Murphy, who abused as many as 200 boys at a school in Wisconsin in the USA. One of the victims, Donald Marshall, said “The Pope is a fraud and a hypocrite.”

The media is reporting on more and more cases of cover-ups by the Catholic Church. Many scandals have broken out in Ireland, Australia, the USA and Mexico. The Vatican has fought back at those trying to force the Pope to resign. Officials released a statement attacking people for their “aggressive persistence… to involve the Holy Father personally in the matter of abuse”. The official said the Pope’s record was “above discussion” and that no one would comment any further. It will be difficult for people to win lawsuits against the Vatican because it is a country and it has immunity from US lawsuits. A lawyer, Jeff Anderson, has managed to start a law case in the USA. He told reporters that “this is the first foot in the door.”

'Pressure on Catholic Church Mounting' - March 27, 2010

www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com