CHURCH RESPONSE:A SENIOR Vatican figure, Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares, prefect for the Congregation of the Divine Worship, this week appeared to downplay the findings of the Ryan report when suggesting that the millions of lives lost through abortion represent a much more serious crime against humanity than clerical sex abuse.

Speaking on Catalan channel, TV 3, Cardinal Canizares, said the behaviour of some Catholic priests and nuns in Ireland was to be totally condemned and that they had committed crimes “for which we have to ask forgiveness”.

Speaking in the context of an abortion debate prompted by a Spanish government proposal, the cardinal said: “What happened in some schools cannot be compared with the millions of lives that have been destroyed by abortion.It (abortion) has legally destroyed 40 million human lives.”