The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost “all credibility” over the way it had dealt with paedophile priests.
Rowan Williams said the problems, which had been a “colossal trauma” for the Church, also affected the wider public.
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said Dr Williams’ words represented unusually damning criticism from the leader of another Church.
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said he was “stunned” by the remarks.
He said those working to renew the church would be ” immensely disheartened” by Dr Williams’ comments.
The Church in Ireland said the issue of abuse was being taken “very seriously” and was being addressed by the Pope and the Irish bishops.
‘Everybody’s problem’
Dr Williams’ voiced his first comments about the scandal in an interview to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4′s Start the Week programme.
He said: “I was speaking to an Irish friend recently who was saying that it’s quite difficult in some parts of Ireland to go down the street wearing a clerical collar now.
“And an institution so deeply bound into the life of a society, suddenly becoming, suddenly losing all credibility – that’s not just a problem for the Church, it is a problem for everybody in Ireland.”
Catherine Pepinster, editor of Catholic weekly newspaper The Tablet said his comments were “very striking” and that many Catholics would share his opinion.
Last month, Pope Benedict XVI apologised to victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland. The issue has prompted increasing controversy about his role in handling the accusations, before he became Pope.
But his supporters say the Pope had introduced rules to protect children.
The Archbishop of Dublin, head of the biggest Catholic diocese in Ireland, said: “I still shudder when I think of the harm that was caused to abused children. I recognise that their Church failed them.
“I also journey with those – especially parents and priests – who work day by day to renew the Catholic Church in this diocese and who are committed to staying with their Church and passing on the faith in wearying times.
“Archbishop Williams’ comments will be for them immensely disheartening and will challenge their faith even further,” he said.
Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Dr John Neill – a senior figure in Ireland’s Anglican communion – said he had listened to the remarks of Dr Williams with “deep regret”.
“As one who… acknowledges the pain and deep suffering of the victims of abuse, I also feel for the countless priests and bishops who daily live out their Christian vocation,” he said.
He said he supported Archbishop Martin “as he works for the proclamation of the Gospel and the healing of hurt, including that of the faithful and their clergy whose ministry has been undermined by those guilty of the abuse of children.”
Vows of silence
Rowan Williams’ comments came after Pope Benedict’s personal preacher, the Rev Raniero Cantalamessa, compared criticism of the pontiff and Church over child abuse to “collective violence” suffered by the Jews.
Speaking at Good Friday prayers in St Peter’s Basilica, Father Cantalamessa quoted a Jewish friend as saying the accusations reminded him of the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism”.
The Vatican said this was not its official position and the comments were criticised by Jewish groups and those representing abuse victims.
On Sunday, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, is expected to apologise during his Easter address in Edinburgh to the victims of paedophile priests.
The Start the Week programme will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Monday at 0900BST.
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