Irish clergy comments after meeting Pope over sex-abuse scandal

(11 Dec 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Wide Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican
2. Cardinal Sean Brady (in the middle) walking
3. Cardinal Brady talking to journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Brady, Irish Cardinal:
"As I said the Holy Father invited the world, the Catholic world to pray for the victims, the survivors of child sexual abuse and he said that the Holy See will be following very closely to discover how this tragedy took place, these tragic events, and to ensure that measures are taken to ensure that this will never reoccur again."
5. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, on the right, approaching
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Diarmuid Martin, Dublin Archbishop:
"I believe we need renewal, in addition to working very hard on the grounds of the child protection, I have been also very clear in talking about renewing evangelisation, renewing parish communities, getting more lay people involved in parishes. I think all of these things have to be taken into consideration, so that we can go forward as a church that is confident in itself and has the confidence of its people".
7. Cardinal and Archbishop talking to journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Diarmuid Martin, Dublin Archbishop:
"It isn't just the question of heads rolling. I have said very clearly people assume their own responsibility, and that's the first thing, and it's good to see that that has begun with people doing it actually in public. That's quite a new thing in the Church in Ireland."
9. Pan right from group of journalists to St Peter's Basilica
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Diarmuid Martin, Dublin Archbishop:
"The church over the years has really introduced huge measures regarding child protection, we have also asked again as you saw at the last bishops meeting the government to come forward with ways in which they can see that we are complying with our own norms and with the norms of the state, which I believe we are"
9. Cardinal Brady walking away
STORYLINE
Pope Benedict XVI said on Friday that he was "deeply disturbed and distressed" by a child sex-abuse scandal in Ireland and would write a letter to the nation's Catholics on the church's response.
Benedict met senior Irish clergy after a report from government investigators found that the Roman Catholic church had shielded more than 100 child-abusing priests from the law.
The Vatican said after the 90-minute talks that the letter to the faithful of Ireland would "clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation."
Attending the talks were Irish Cardinal Sean Brady, Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and the Vatican envoy to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza.
Sean Brady and Diarmuid Martin spoke to reporters outside the Vatican and said it was vital those events were never repeated.
"He said (Benedict) that the Holy See will be following very closely to discover how this tragedy took place, these tragic events, and to ensure that measures are taken to ensure that this will never reoccur again," said Cardinal Brady.
Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin also said it was encouraging that people were publicly assuming their responsibility.
"It isn't just the question of heads rolling. I have said very clearly people assume their own responsibility, and that's the first thing, and it's good to see that that has begun with people doing it actually in public. That's quite a new thing in the Church in Ireland," he said.
The report found that church leaders in the Dublin Archdiocese failed to inform authorities about sexual abuse by priests, while police failed to pursue allegations in the belief that church figures were effectively above the law.
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