Child abuse scandal is war 'between church and world', says Italian bishop

Allegations of cover-up reach Pope in case of abusive priest who was assigned pastoral work

Members of Snap, an American group that supports those who have been abused by priests, at a demonstration in front of the Vatican.

Pope Benedict was today accused of being involved in the mishandling of the case of a child-abusing priest in his former archdiocese of Munich, an allegation which directly links him to the burgeoning scandal in the Catholic church.

The accusation, which has been only partly denied by church representatives, cast a deep shadow over the pontiff's approaching visit to Britain. It also elicited heated protests from Roman Catholic leaders and Italian politicians.

Italy's foreign minister, Franco Frattini, said on his Facebook site that the pope was being subjected to "scandalous and disgraceful" attacks. One churchman, Antonio Riboldi, the emeritus bishop of Acerra, declared that it marked the start of a war "between the church and the world; between Satan and God".

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