Are allegations against the Catholic Church 'petty gossip'?
| 19:25 UK time, Monday, 5 April 2010
Hi, I'm Simon from World Have Your Say. During Easter Mass a senior Vatican Cardinal said that the Catholic Church should not be distracted by "petty gossip" about child sex abuse allegations. , Dean of the College of Cardinals, launched a strong attack on the Pope's critics,
"Holy Father, the people of God are with you and will not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment, by the trials that sometimes assail the community of believers."
Cardinal Sodano also said that there are some 400,000 priests who "generously serve around the world." Has he got a point? Has the story been blown out of perspective?
Some don't agree - it's a difficult issue for the victims of the scandal. of the US-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) says:
"Victims are seeking consolation and healing and should not be insulted and told that our speaking out is petty gossip."
Was the Cardinal's intervention the right thing to try to heal negative media coverage, or has it made the issue worse? Are allegations against the Catholic Church 'petty gossip'?
