VATICAN CITY, Sept 3: The Vatican on Saturday acknowledged “grave failures” over the handling of a child sex abuse scandal involving priests in southern Ireland but denied that it tried to block investigations.

In its long-awaited response to an official report, commissioned by the Irish government, the Vatican expressed deep concern at the findings and “abhorrence” for the crimes committed.

“The Holy See is deeply concerned at the findings of the commission of inquiry concerning grave failures in the ecclesiastical governance of the diocese of Cloyne,” said the Vatican in its official response to the report.

The Vatican also “wishes to state its abhorrence for the crimes of sexual abuse which took place in that diocese”, it added.

Ettore Balestrero, the under-secretary for relations with states, handed over the response on Saturday to Helena Keleher, the Irish government's deputy ambassador to the Vatican.

July's publication of the report into more than a decade of abuse by priests in Cloyne sparked outrage in the Irish government and triggered an unprecedented attack by Prime Minister Enda Kenny who called the Roman Catholic Church's behaviour “absolutely disgraceful”.

He said on Saturday that he had not yet had an opportunity to read the Vatican statement and that his government would comment in due course.

“I need to read this report and speak to the Tanaiste (deputy prime minister and foreign minister Eamon Gilmore) and obviously the government will comment,” Kenny told reporters.

Ireland's Cardinal Sean Brady welcomed the Vatican statement, describing it as “carefully prepared and respectfully presented”.

“The reply conveys the profound abhorrence of the Holy See for the crime of sexual abuse and its sorrow and shame for the terrible sufferings which the victims of abuse and their families have endured within the Church of Jesus Christ, a place where this should never happen,” it said.—AFP