- Title: VATICAN CITY/ITALY: Pope accepts resignation of Belgian bishop for abuse
- Date: 24th April 2010
- Summary: VATICAN CITY (APRIL 23, 2010) (REUTERS) RAINY EXTERIOR OF VATICAN VATICAN STATEMENT ON BELGIAN BISHOP ROME, ITALY (APRIL 23, 2010) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE FOR VICTIMS GROUP (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROBERTO MIRABILE, PRESIDENT OF CARAMELLA BUONA SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS ADVOCACY GROUP SAYING "I see that each day these resignations of priests around the world, either in a forced or spontaneous manner, are signalling a greater consciousness about the problem of pedophilia in the Church within the hierarchy of the Vatican. I ask whether this could also happen in Italy? Because when we look at the trials that we are involved in with our group Caramella Buona we can see that the Church has an immense responsibility and we need more than just the words, the pieces of paper, the letters sent to priests around the world by the pope, the pope meeting the victims of pedophilia, we need the Holy Father and the Church to take a further step. I ask the pope to call a meeting of all Italian bishops and ask each one if they have covered up cases - if they haven't fine, but if they have then action needs to be taken." VARIOUS OF VATICAN
- Embargoed: 9th May 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA4UPX6H5U9KF7LO00CIVPFJPBV
- Story Text: Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of a Belgian bishop who admitted to sexual abuse as a victims' group in Rome calls for the Vatican to start taking action against bishops who have covered up sexual abuse cases.
Pope Benedict accepted the resignation on Friday (April 23) of a Belgian bishop who admitted to sexual abuse in a statement issued by the Vatican.
"When I was still a simple priest and for a while when I began as a bishop, I sexually abused a young man in my close entourage," said the bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, in the statement, adding that he asked for forgiveness.
Hundreds of instances of abuse by clergymen have come to light in Europe and the United States in the last month as disclosures encouraged victims to go public with their allegations.
On Thursday Pope Benedict accepted the resignation from an Irish bishop who said he had failed to break the culture of abuse within the Catholic Church in Ireland.
"I see that each day these resignations of priests around the world, either in a forced or spontaneous manner, are signalling a greater consciousness about the problem of pedophilia in the Church within the hierarchy of the Vatican," said Roberto Mirabile, president of a sexual abuse victims' group Caramella Buona (Nice Sweet).
"I ask whether this could also happen in Italy?" said Mirabile, whose group provides legal aid to several victims involved in legal cases against the Church.
"Because when we look at the trials that we are involved in with our group Caramella Buona we can see that the Church has an immense responsibility and we need more than just the words, the pieces of paper, the letters sent to priests around the world by the pope, the pope meeting the victims of pedophilia, we need the Holy Father and the Church to take a further step."
"I ask the pope to call a meeting of all Italian bishops and ask each one if they have covered up cases - if they haven't fine, but if they have then action needs to be taken," Mirabile said.
The Vatican has been consistently accused of hiding or covering up cases of sexual abuse at a local level with some insinuations spreading closer to the Vatican hierarchy.
The Vatican denies covering up any abuse cases within the Church - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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