- Title: VATICAN/ITALY: Sexual abuse victims call for decisive action by new pope
- Date: 2nd March 2013
- Summary: VATICAN (MARCH 2, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ST PETERS BASILICA PEOPLE IN ST PETERS SQUARE STATUES ROME, ITALY (MARCH 2, 2013) (REUTERS) TWO MEMBERS OF 'SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS' (SNAP), DAVID CLOHESSY AND BARBARA DORRIS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF CLOHESSY AND DORRIS AS CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS (SNAP), DAVID CLOHESSY, SAYING: "Pope Benedict's resignation in and of itself was a bold and decisive move and that gives us hope that maybe his successor can be equally bold and decisive in tackling the most horrific crisis that the church has ever faced." PHOTOGRAPH OF CLOHESSY AS A CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS (SNAP), DAVID CLOHESSY, SAYING: "It's a very thorny question, what makes a man molest a child and what might cure him. Those are complicated issues. But it's not a complex issue to figure out what do you do with a church official, a man of God, a shepherd of his flock, who turns a blind eye to the rape of his most innocent church members. Those men simply must be disciplined, and disciplined harshly and quickly. And that will make a difference." PHOTOGRAPHS VARIOUS OF CLOHESSY AND DORRIS TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF THE SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS (SNAP), BARBARA DORRIS, SAYNG: "We feel it needs to be exposed, that people need to be aware that this report exists and to look at the failings of the Vatican in dealing with this issue. That they need to be sanctioned, that they need to be held accountable for the fact that they have chosen not to abide by the policies that they voluntarily signed on to." PHOTOGRAPH OF BARBARA DORRIS AS A CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF THE SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS (SNAP), BARBARA DORRIS, SAYNG: "They're choosing to protect predators, their own reputations, their own secrets over the safety of the children. That compromises, in our view, the conclave itself, because men who have knowingly protected predators, who have knowingly placed children in harms way - and that's right now, children right now are in harms way from these clerical predators - it makes it very hard to believe that they are going into this conclave with the idea of electing a reformer, of electing someone who will clean up this mess. And we feel that pressure from the outside world is needed to make the changes." VARIOUS OF CLOHESSY AND DORRIS TALKING
- Embargoed: 17th March 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Vatican City State, Italy
- City:
- Country: Italy Vatican City State
- Topics: Crime,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA8EJB2MH3I961959FFXKAJD3A5
- Story Text: The next pope should do more to tackle the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic church, members of an organisation representing abuse victims said on Saturday (March 2).
David Clohessy is the director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
"Pope Benedict's resignation in and of itself was a bold and decisive move and that gives us hope that maybe his successor can be equally bold and decisive in tackling the most horrific crisis that the church has ever faced," he said.
Cardinals will hold informal talks from Monday (March 4) to decide when to begin the conclave to elect a new pope, just days after Pope Benedict became the first pontiff to resign from the post in some 600 years.
They will be faced with finding someone to lead the church which is continuing to be hit by scandals, intrigue and betrayals, with sexual abuse by priests high on the list of priorities.
Clohessy, who says he intends to stay in Rome until a new pope is chosen, said anybody who turns a blind eye to child abuse should be punished harshly and quickly.
"It's a very thorny question, what makes a man molest a child and what might cure him. Those are complicated issues. But it's not a complex issue to figure out what do you do with a church official, a man of God, a shepherd of his flock, who turns a blind eye to the rape of his most innocent church members. Those men simply must be disciplined, and disciplined harshly and quickly. And that will make a difference."
SNAP has filed a report with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which criticises the Vatican in its handling of clergy sex crimes. It is the first time the organisation has made a formal appeal to the UN for help with the crisis.
"We feel it needs to be exposed, that people need to be aware that this report exists and to look at the failings of the Vatican in dealing with this issue. That they need to be sanctioned, that they need to be held accountable for the fact that they have chosen not to abide by the policies that they voluntarily signed on to," Barbara Dorris from the organisation said.
SNAP reports on its website that the CRC will question Vatican officials later this year on their compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It plans to report its findings publicly.
Dorris said outside pressure was necessary to force reforms on the Church.
"They're choosing to protect predators, their own reputations, their own secrets over the safety of the children. That compromises, in our view, the conclave itself, because men who have knowingly protected predators, who have knowingly placed children in harms way - and that's right now, children right now are in harms way from these clerical predators - it makes it very hard to believe that they are going into this conclave with the idea of electing a reformer, of electing someone who will clean up this mess. And we feel that pressure from the outside world is needed to make the changes."
At the Vatican, the dean of the College of Cardinals has officially invited all eligible "princes of the Church" to assemble in Rome for the conclave to choose the next leader of the Roman Catholic church.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano set the first session of the general congregations, the pre-conclave meetings where cardinals discuss future challenges to the Church and discreetly weigh up possible candidates, for Monday morning.
Another session would be held in the afternoon, he announced in what seemed to be an effort to allow as much discussion as possible within a short period.
The cardinals must decide when to go into the conclave, but cannot do so until all 115 electors from around the world are present. It was not known how many have already arrived.
Nothing is set yet, but the Vatican seems to be aiming for an election by mid-March so the new pope can be installed in office before Palm Sunday on March 24 and lead Holy Week services in the week leading up to Easter. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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