Growing sex abuse scandal rocks French Catholic Church

Surprise… not.
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Holyween-er party? 😉

A French cardinal at the centre of a paedophile scandal came under renewed pressure on Tuesday when another witness accused him of covering up sex abuse and the French prime minister told him to take responsibility for his actions.

Bishops from across France met in the sanctuary of Lourdes for their annual behind-closed-doors conference on Tuesday, just as a paedophile rocked the catholic church and beyond.

At the centre of the scandal is Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who is being sued as part of an alleged cover-up of sex abuse on boy scouts by a priest in the late 1980s. On Tuesday he categorically denied covering up for any sex abuse.

On Tuesday Barbarin was hit by new allegations that he had covered up for a second priest that was accused of sexual abuse in 2009 relating to incidents that had occurred years earlier.

In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper, the victim said Barbarin was aware of the abuse the priest had carried out, but did nothing.

“It’s not for me to be ashamed,” said the man now aged in his forties. “I do not act out of revenge…but out of a desire to contribute as people are becoming aware of what happened.
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