Vatican says bid to link pope to abuse issue failed

VATICAN CITY, March 13 (Reuters) - The Vatican rallied around Pope Benedict on Saturday, dismissing suggestions he had tried to cover up priestly child abuse in Germany.

"It’s rather clear that in recent days there have been people who have searched — with notable tenacity in Regensberg and Munich — for elements to personally involve the Holy Father in the question of the abuses," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told Vatican Radio.

"To any objective observer, it’s clear that these attempts have failed."

The pope’s former diocese in Bavaria said on Friday he was involved in a decision in 1980 to move a priest there who was suspected of child abuse.

The pontiff — then Joseph Ratzinger — jointly agreed to the priest undergoing therapy at a rectory in the diocese of Munich and Freising, where he was archbishop from 1977 to 1981.

However, rather than sending the priest for therapy as had been agreed, the diocese’s then general vicar, Gerhard Gruber, assigned him to a Munich parish without restrictions. Gruber took full responsibility for the decision, the diocese said.

On Friday the head of Germany’s Catholic Church briefed journalists about the situation in Germany, where more than 100 reports have emerged of abuse at Catholic institutions, including one linked to the prestigious Regensburg choir run by the pope’s brother from 1964 to 1994.

With the pope being criticised for not having done more during his career to halt abuse, Irish bookmaker Paddy Power on Friday slashed the odds on him resigning to 3 to 1 from 12 to 1, following a "cascade of bets".

The Vatican defended the pontiff vigorously on Saturday, with Lombardi’s comments accompanying a separate interview by the Holy See’s official prosecutor, or "promoter of justice".

Monsignor Charles. J. Scicluna told the Italian bishops’ newspaper Avvenire that accusations the pope had helped cover up abuse were "false and calumnious".

Lombardi said Canon (Church) rules for controlling and punishing abuse did not create the conditions for any cover up and were, on the contrary, vigorous and severe.

"It is right to remember that all of this was set up by cardinal Ratzinger when he was prefect of the Congregation," Lombardi said.

"His line has always been one of rigour and consistency in tackling even the most difficult situations."

(Reporting by Gavin Jones; editing by Philippa Fletcher)