Advertisement

U.S. cardinal to assist Irish church

BOSTON, May 31 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI has named a Boston cardinal to assist the Archdiocese of Dublin in Ireland, mired in a sexual abuse crisis, the Vatican said.

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley will remain archbishop of Boston but assume new duties as "apostolic visitor" to the Dublin archdiocese, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

Advertisement

Ireland's Catholic Church has been under fire following accusations of multiple abuse cases in church-connected institutions in the country.

O'Malley is U.S.-born but proud of his Irish heritage and of being Irish-American, the Globe said.

O'Malley will "explore more deeply questions concerning the handling of cases of abuse and the assistance owed to the victims,'' a Vatican press office statement said.

He will also "monitor the effectiveness of and seek possible improvements to the current procedures for preventing abuse," the statement said.

This is the fourth time since 1992 O'Malley, 65, has been given the task of intervening in a diocese involved in clergy sexual abuse, the Globe reported.

Latest Headlines