- Title: VATICAN: Pope meets sexual abuse victims - reactions
- Date: 7th July 2014
- Summary: VATICAN CITY (JULY 7, 2014) (REUTERS) TOURISTS BY ST. PETER'S SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, PHILIP PULLELLA, SAYING: "The pope had his first meeting with victims of priestly sexual abuse. There were six people who attended his morning mass, two from Britain, two from Ireland and two from Germany. Afterwards they had private meetings with him. We probably won't find out what was said because it is such a private matter. However the pope has come under a bit of criticism for waiting so long almost sixteen months since his election before having a meeting with sexual abuse victims. We have to remember that his predecessor Pope Benedict, now former Pope Benedict had several meetings with abuse victims on various trips when he was outside of Italy. The Argentine victims of sexual abuse are particularly upset because they were not included in this group. They sent a letter to the pope telling him they were hurt by this exclusion, what they see by an exclusion." EXTERIOR OF VATICAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, PHILIP PULLELLA, SAYING: "Victim's groups are saying that it is very important that this does not remain a ceremonial event, just a mass and a meeting, perhaps a picture opportunity. They want much more than that, they want the pope to send a very strong signal to Catholic officials around the world, but particularly in the developing world, that whenever there is even the slightest suspicion that someone, a priest has abused a child that that suspicion should be brought to civil authorities." VARIOUS OF TOURISTS AT THE VATICAN (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH TOURIST, JEAN DEFETASSE, SAYING: "The church has never effectively dealt with sexual abuse and this is a good thing what is happening now." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH TOURIST, HELENA HERNANDEZ, SAYING: "The victims need respect, we must see how the church moves forward. Up until now nothing has been done and there hasn't been respect." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM LUXEMBOURG, EUGENE PRIM, SAYING: "I think it is a crime what happened before but I think this pope is a new pope and he is really taking care to look into the problem and to find out why it happened and I think now he is reacting now. Talking to the people, I think this is very important at this stage. And then I suppose he finds measures to stop this for the future." VARIOUS OF THE VATICAN
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Vatican City State
- Country: Vatican City State
- Topics: Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA9CHNML6ZNBYD6T51NSI7AD2OA
- Story Text: Pope Francis held his first meeting with victims of sexual abuse by priests on Monday (July 7), an encounter that some say should have happened long ago.
Six victims, two each from Ireland, Britain and Germany, attended the pope's private morning Mass in his Vatican residence and then met him afterwards.
Reuters Vatican correspondent Philip Pullella said the pope has been criticised for the delay in holding meeting with victims and that the details of the gathering will not be made public
"The pope had his first meeting with victims of priestly sexual abuse. There were six people who attended his morning mass, two from Britain, two from Ireland and two from Germany. Afterwards they had private meetings with him. We probably won't find out what was said because it is such a private matter. However the pope has come under a bit of criticism for waiting so long almost sixteen months since his election before having a meeting with sexual abuse victims. We have to remember that his predecessor Pope Benedict, now former Pope Benedict had several meetings with abuse victims on various trips when he was outside of Italy. The Argentine victims of sexual abuse are particularly upset because they were not included in this group. They sent a letter to the pope telling him they were hurt by this exclusion, what they see by an exclusion," said Pullella.
Pope Francis has said he would show zero tolerance for anyone in the Catholic Church who abused children, including bishops, and compared sexual abuse of children by priests to a "Satanic Mass".
But he has also come under fire from victims groups for saying in an interview this year that the Roman Catholic Church has done more than any other organisation to root out peadophiles in its ranks.
Why the pope waited nearly 16 months since his election in March 2013 to meet sexual abuse victims is not clear, particularly as his predecessor, former Pope Benedict, met victims several times during his trips outside Italy.
Victims groups have said the pope had a spotty record of dealing with abuse cases in Argentina when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, and victims from that country sent him a letter asking him why they were not invited.
Pullella added that victim support groups say they need more than just meetings with the pope.
"Victim's groups are saying that it is very important that this does not remain a ceremonial event, just a mass and a meeting, perhaps a picture opportunity. They want much more than that, they want the pope to send a very strong signal to Catholic officials around the world, but particularly in the developing world, that whenever there is even the slightest suspicion that someone, a priest has abused a child that that suspicion should be brought to civil authorities," said Pullella.
The sexual abuse scandal has haunted the Catholic Church for over two decades but became a major issue in the United States about 10 years ago.
Since then it has also disgraced local churches in Ireland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries and badly tarnished the church's image.
"The church has never effectively dealt with sexual abuse and this is a good thing what is happening now" said French tourist Jean Defetasse as he walked past St. Peter's square.
Spanish tourist Helena Hernandez has said that the victims need more respect.
"The victims need respect, we must see how the church moves forward. Up until now nothing has been done and there hasn't been respect," said Hernandez.
Eugene Prim from Luxembourg thinks Pope Francis will work to stopping abuse within the church.
"I think it is a crime what happened before but I think this pope is a new pope and he is really taking care to look into the problem and to find out why it happened and I think now he is reacting now. Talking to the people, I think this is very important at this stage. And then I suppose he finds measures to stop this for the future" Prim said.
The Vatican says 3,420 credible accusations of sexual abuse by priests had been referred to the Vatican in the past 10 years and 824 clerics defrocked. The Catholic Church in the United States has paid $2.5 billion in compensation to victims.
The commission advising the pope on the sexual abuse crisis, which includes Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley, met on Sunday and is expected to announce that it will expand it ranks to include more members from the developing world.
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