Catholic Church authorities in Asia have been urged to put in place clear directives on how to deal with the civil authorities when allegations of criminal sexual abuse are made against priests.
The call was made at the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin by the Archbishop of Manila, Dr Luis Antonio Tagle.
Archbishop Tagle was addressing a full house of pilgrims at the RDS on the topic of "Clerical Child Sexual Abuse”.
He said that in Asia the relative silence of survivors was partly due to a culture of shame and that priests are not exempt from observing the law of the state.
But he said the Church authorities in that continent need to put in place directives on how to deal with the civil authorities when criminality arises.
The first contributor from the floor told the meeting that her heart was bleeding that victims were not present and that their healing could not have begun here.
Archbishop of Durban, Dr Wilfrid Napier, who had been present at the meeting said the Church authorities in South Africa were now reporting all credible allegations to the civil authorities.
Also this morning, the Papal Legate to the Congress Cardinal Marc Ouellet paid a courtesy call on President Michael D Higgins and his wife, Sabina.
Also present were Congress President Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown.
Today's activities at the Congress were built around the theme of "Communion in Marriage and the Family".
The Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson, gave a personal testimony as a husband and father, of the influence of the Eucharist on his faith.
Mr Anderson is a former advisor to the late US President Ronald Reagan.
