Dutch Cardinal Ad Simonis is to travel to Rome to attend a meeting about the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy. The Dutch Conference of Bishops announced on Monday evening that the Cardinal will attend the specially convened meeting on 19 November.

Cardinals from all over the world have been summoned by Pope Benedict XVI to come to the Vatican to discuss the worldwide sex abuse scandal The meeting is planned for the eve of another meeting to create 24 new cardinals.

The church leaders will also discuss procedures to allow Anglicans into the Catholic church, who disagree with the ordination of women and allowing homosexuals into the Anglican church.

Cardinal Simonis himself came under fire for denying he knew about the sexual abuse of children in Dutch Catholic institutions when the first cases in the Netherlands emerged earlier this year. A book published earlier this month by NRC-journalist Joep Dohmen reports that he was actually responsible for relocating clergy guilty of abusing children in their care and covering up cases of abuse.
 

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