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WORLD NEWS Monday 13 May 2019

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Pope gives church 19 new priests in Vatican ceremony

By FRANCES D’EMILIO some who later became
Associated Press bishops and cardinals,
VATICAN CITY (AP) — sexually abused children
Pope Francis has given the or were involved in cover-
church 19 new priests, or- ups to avoid staining the
daining the men in an elab- church’s reputation. Fran-
orate ceremony Sunday in cis made no mention of the
St. Peter’s Basilica, as the scandals or of his recent
credibility of the Vatican efforts aimed at prevent-
and many of its clergy is ing any more such harm,
threatened by widespread encouraging accountabil-
scandals of pedophile ity by bishops and others
priests and systematic ef- in church authority and
forts at cover-ups. repairing the reputation of
Fifteen of the seminarians the Vatican and the pa-
ordained by Francis are pacy. Last week, the pope
Italian; the others are from issued a church law that
Croatia, Peru, Haiti and Ja- requires all priests and nuns
pan. The seminarians’ ages to report sexual abuse by
range from mid-20s to 46. clergy as well as cover-ups
Wearing white robes, the by their superiors to church
seminarians stood in three authorities.
rows before the central al- While appreciated by those
tar after replying, “Here I Newly ordained priests pray during a ceremony led by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica at the who suffered abuse and
am,” as their names were Vatican, Sunday, May 12, 2019. those advocating for them
called one by one. Fran- Associated Press as a significant step in han-
cis, reciting a ritual formula, During his homily, Francis in- with sincerity, the priestly work toward “uniting the dling the problem, the law
asked if they were worthy structed them to never “tire work of Christ, solely intent faithful in one unique fam- stopped short of requiring
to become priests. Later in of being merciful” toward on pleasing God and not ily.” But that family of the such crimes to be reported
the ceremony, the seminar- the faithful who confess yourselves,” Francis said. world’s more than 1.2 billion to police and instead left
ians prostrated themselves sins.“Aware of having been Each seminarian knelt be- Catholics has been badly that policing in the hands
in a sign of obedience to chosen among men and fore the pope and held out wounded and disoriented of bishops, whose ranks in-
church authority and to appointed in their favor to his hands, which Francis by decades of revelations clude those who botched
God, on a carpet in front of attend to the things of God, rubbed with holy oil. that men who were or- the handling of abuse cas-
the altar. carry out in joy and charity, Francis urged the men to dained as priests, including es for decades.q

Opposition calls for nationwide protests of Albanian govt

By LLAZAR SEMINI told hundreds of supporters and public buildings, while
Associated Press in front of the Tirana city po- 31 others were detained
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — lice department. and later released,.
Albania’s center-right op- The opposition accuses the Rama backed the actions
position parties kept dem- Cabinet of Socialist Prime of police during Saturday
onstrations calling for the Minister Edi Rama of being clashes except for “two-
resignation of the left-wing corrupt and linked to orga- three seconds of an inci-
government going Sunday nized crime, which the gov- dent when two police offi-
after some protesters and ernment denies. cers used the baton.”
police clashed in the capi- Rama denounced the be- At a news conference
tal of Tirana the night be- havior of protesters who Sunday, the prime minis-
fore. Leaders of the coun- showered police officers ter brought up a 2011 rally
try’s Democratic Party-led and the national govern- where National Guard of-
opposition decided to re- ment building with Molotov ficers deployed by the
convene to object to the cocktails, firecrackers and Democratic Party-led gov-
arrest of a senior party offi- A protester holds stones as police block a road during clashes hard objects on Saturday ernment shot and killed
cial during Saturday’s anti- in Tirana, Saturday, May 11, 2019. and said “Albania is dam- four supporters of Ramas’
government protest. They Associated Press aged.” Socialist Party, which was in
are trying to organize na- against hundreds of pro- from the united and deter- Tirana police said Sunday opposition at the time.
tionwide rallies for Monday. testers ... will get tomorrow mined people,” Democrat- 50 people were arrested for “We are not them,” he
“Barbarous violence the proportional response ic Party leader Lulzim Basha acts against police officers said.q