The clergy sex abuse scandal didn’t elicit further statements of regret from Catholic Church leaders over the weekend, but two peripheral apologies did make headlines:

• The Vatican’s struggle over its response to the scandal was compounded by the controversial Good Friday homily by Pope Benedict’s personal preacher, who compared the pontiff’s recent suffering to the “collective violence” endured by the Jews throughout history. Father Raniero Catalamessa’s unfortunate comparison outraged plenty of people, including both Holocaust and sex abuse survivors. He has since apologized.
• Archbishop of Canterbury Roman Williams, the London-based head of the Anglican Communion (which includes the Episcopal Church), had told the BBC Saturday that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost its credibility, due to its mishandling of the abuse crisis. (The comment was particularly newsworthy, given that Pope Benedict will making the first official papal visit to the United Kingdom later this year.) Williams has also since apologized, though The Guardian and Episcopal Cafe considered this “unncecessary.”

Meanwhile, the news continues about the cover-up for pedophile priests, now with an Associated Press story about two Arizona cases. Check back for more on the AP story and other updates, and share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

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