The ongoing row over the Pope’s handling of child abuse cases made waves in the UK today, with groups planning protests against the Catholic Church and the Archbishop of Westminster coming out to defend the pontiff.

The Pope is accused of failing to take action when he was informed of a US priest who abused up to 200 deaf boys 20 years ago.

Archbishops complained about Friar Lawrence Murphy in 1996 to a Vatican Office led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope. They allegedly received no response.

The scandal drags the controversy over abuse in the Catholic Church – which has dominated media coverage of the church for most of the year – right to the Pope’s door.

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