Olympic flame arrives in US

Olympic flame arrives in US	8.04.2008

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04/08/2008		Landowners vow to resist expulsion
WHITE landowners in northern Brazil`s jungle are vowing to resist "with our blood" an eviction operation against them to enforce a large reserve for an indigenous population

04/08/2008		Clinton campaign in crisis mode
THE US presidential campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton is in crisis mode after her top strategist was forced to quit amid a political firestorm sparked by disclosure of his lobbying ties to Colombia

04/08/2008		Anxiety, too little childhood sleep linked
GETTING too little sleep doubles a young child`s risk of being overweight and raises the chances of later anxiety and depression, researchers said today

04/08/2008		Bob Dylan wins Pulitzer prize
LEGENDARY musician and folk icon Bob Dylan was handed a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize board today, following in the footsteps of fellow musicians Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane

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Pell orders review of sex abuse claim Your say on this story

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Latest Comments:

The Catholic church should come clean about these issues.
Posted by: chrisj 8:04pm today

Comment 1:my thoughts exactly!!!!The Cardinal would surely only want reputable, decent folks backing him up.
Posted by: Loz of Sydney/Honkers 7:59pm today

Iworked in a catholic "brothers" school for 27 years and saw cover ups of suspicious behaviour by religious on several occasions. However when I separated from my wife and then a year later began living with a woman (also separated) I was "asked" to resign as I did not meet the "moral code" of the church due to my senior position in the school. Utter hypocrisy is the norm in the church.
Posted by: David of Brisbane 7:53pm today

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Cardinal Pell orders review of abuse claims
Abuse victim claims Pell didn`t tell truth about priest
Furore erupting before Pope World Youth Day visit

THE Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, has referred rape allegations against a former priest to an independent panel, including retired NSW Supreme Court Judge Bill Priestly.

Cardinal Pell has re-opened investigations into Father Terrence Goodall after phone taps recorded the convicted priest saying a sexual encounter with his adult victim Anthony Jones was not consensual, as he first claimed.

In 2003, Cardinal George Pell dismissed a sex abuse complaint against Father Goodall, because he gave weight to the priest`s claim the encounter was consensual.

Cardinal Pell dismissed Anthony Jones` complaint despite Mr Jones` protestations to the contrary.
However, in 2003 police phone transcripts - played on ABC Television last night, Father Goodall admitted to Mr Jones that the encounter was not consensual.

Mr Jones, now 54, was sexually abused by Father Goodall in 1982 and informed the church about it 20 years later.

In 2005, Father Goodall was convicted of indecently assaulting Mr Jones after pleading guilty to the charges, but served no time in prison.

Dr Pell has now referred the rape allegations to an independent panel, the church said.

"Although the complaints of Mr Anthony Jones have been dealt with by the Church, the criminal court and the civil court, out of consideration for Mr Jones, Cardinal George Pell has formally referred the matters raised this week to an independent consultative panel established under Towards Healing protocols," it said in a statement.

"The panel, which is chaired by retired NSW Supreme Court judge Bill Priestley QC, has been asked to advise Cardinal Pell on the options open to him.

"It consists of prominent lay people from the fields of law, business, and psychiatry, as well as a senior priest."

The panel would report back as soon as possible, the church said.

Cardinal Pell has become embroiled in the Goodall sex abuse scandal just days before Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the country for World Youth Day.

Letters obtained by the ABC and aired on Monday showed Cardinal Pell told Mr Jones that his complaint could not be upheld because the church was not aware of any other complaints against the priest.

But another letter showed Cardinal Pell was aware of a second allegation of sexual abuse against Father Goodall.

It was also revealed that an internal church report found Father Goodall had had sexual encounters with a 16-year-old female, as well as Mr Jones and the other young male complainant.

Cardinal Pell earlier this week said he got his decision wrong and had expressed himself poorly in the letter to Mr Jones.

Former health minister Tony Abbott has defended Cardinal Pell over the scandal.

Mr Abbott, one of Australia`s most prominant Catholics and a friend of the Cardinal, said his mate acted "honourably" amid claims that he misled victims of abuse at the hands of former priest Father Terrence Goodall.

He said Cardinal Pell should be given credit for publicly admitting he made a mistake in his response to the abuse allegations.

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