Archbishop retreats after unholy row

An extraordinary war of words between the Catholic and Protestant churches culminated yesterday in the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, apologising for remarks that had yet to be broadcast.

Catholics in Ireland reacted furiously to comments made by Williams in a pre-recorded interview - but released by the BBC - in which he said the Catholic Church in Ireland had lost "all credibility" over the way it dealt with paedophile priests.

Within hours, however - but not before the Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said he was "stunned" by the remarks - Williams issued an apology, saying he had "no intention of criticising or attacking" the Catholic Church.

The row overshadowed the most important festival in the Christian calendar - Easter Sunday, which marks the resurrection of Christ, and was threatening to derail the Pope's visit to Britain in September.

"The unequivocal and unqualified comment in a radio interview of the Archbishop of Canterbury that the Catholic Church in Ireland has 'lost all credibility' has stunned me," Martin said.

"I have been more than forthright in addressing the failures of the Catholic Church in Ireland. I still shudder when I consider the harm that was caused to abused children. But ... I have rarely felt personally so discouraged as when I woke to hear Archbishop Williams' comments."

His Church of Ireland counterpart, Dr John Neill, said he listened to the words with "deep regret".

Catherine Pepinster, the editor of the Catholic newspaper the Tablet, said many Catholics would be surprised by Williams' "intemperate" and "extreme" remarks.

Williams is said to have telephoned Martin to "express his deep sorrow and regret" over the remarks.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has a track record for gaffes, and it is likely his latest comments will be considered another clanger.

Before the apology, Pepinster said there were concerns within the Catholic community that his intervention was a riposte to the Catholic Church's overtures last year to Anglicans who were uncomfortable with gay priests.

"The Catholic Church in Ireland has lost credibility, but to say it has lost all credibility seems a little extreme," she said.

"There's been some suspicion that Rowan Williams is so angry about the overtures the Catholic Church made to Anglicans who were uncomfortable with gay priests that this is a response."

She added that a dispute between the two branches of Christianity could derail the Pope's visit.

In the interview recorded last month, Williams said the abuse scandal had been a "colossal trauma" for the Catholic Church.

"I was speaking to an Irish friend who was saying 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 everyone in Ireland."

The Vatican declined to comment yesterday.

- INDEPENDENT