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Vatican official thanks the World Press for sexual abuse coverage

Speaking to Vatican Radio on May 3, Richard Rouse, an official at the Pontifical Council for Culture, thanked the world press for its coverage of the sexual abuse scandal, reports John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews.com. Asked about the Vatican’s handling of the abuse scandal coverage in the press, Rouse said, “I want to take this occasion of World Press Day to thank the press for what they’re doing. It is of extreme importance that the press continue to help all the people involved in this situation to move forward.”

“We’ve got to say that as the Vatican, we’ve got to thank people for what they’re doing,” Rouse added.

Rouse added, however, that the Vatican must also urge corrections in media coverage where needed. “We’ve also got to say: hang on a second, sometimes things are getting a little out of proportion,” he said. Even then, however, it should be a “gentle correction.” “But first of all thanks,” stressed Rouse.

Rouse was frank in stating that while the scandal has only come to massive public attention in the last few weeks, “it’s being going on for years.”

“It’s fine,” he said, “drawing out stories, that need to be brought forward from 10, 15, 20 years ago, but we’ve also got to be balanced.”

“I think that, as a Church, we’ve struggled to get our good message out amongst all the bad news which is getting good coverage, because everybody knows, bad news sells newspapers… So we’ve also got to find within this whole story space to sell the good news as well.”

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TAGS: Vatican Richard Rouse Pontifical Council for Culture World Press sexual abuse scandal

[05/12/2010]

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