BREAKING NEWS

Vatican recalls Ireland envoy after abuse rebuke

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican has recalled its ambassador in Ireland following severe criticism by the Irish parliament of the Church's role in covering up child sex abuse, a spokesman said on Monday.
The move follows last week's unprecedented rebuke of the Holy See by the Irish parliament in the wake of a report which accused Church authorities of covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests as recently as 2009.
The highly unusual step by the Vatican reflects the heightened tensions over the issue following a wave of criticism in Ireland over its role in the child abuse scandal.