Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Abuse confession

A year after his resignation plunged Belgium's Catholic Church into crisis, the former bishop of Bruges has provoked almost universal condemnation by admitting to new sex-abuse offences.

Roger Vangheluwe told Belgian television that he abused one nephew for 13 years and another for nearly a year - but he did not think he was a paedophile.

Days after church bosses ordered Vangheluwe to undergo ''spiritual and psychological treatment'' in France, Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme condemned remarks he said ''go beyond the boundary of what is acceptable''.