- Title: VATICAN: Papal commission on sex abuse pledges to ensure accountability
- Date: 3rd May 2014
- Summary: VATICAN (MAY 3, 2014) (REUTERS) VISITORS IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE STATUES ON ST. PETER'S BASILICA VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING IN SQUARE VARIOUS OF PRIESTS AMONG CROWDS IN SQUARE CHILDREN HAVING PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE VATICAN PRESS OFFICE SIGN CARDINAL, SEAN PATRICK O'MALLEY, AND VATICAN SPOKESPERSON, FATHER LOMBARDI, SITTING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMISSION MEMBER, CARDINAL SEAN PATRICK O'MALLEY, SAYING: "Obviously our concern about accountability is accountability for everyone in the Church regardless of what their status is and in the suggestions for protocols that we hope to develop we will address how these protocols should include everybody and have very clear and transparent ways of dealing with accountability, both in those who perpetrate the crime of sexual abuse and those who are negligent in child protection." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMISSION MEMBER, CARDINAL SEAN PATRICK O'MALLEY, SAYING: "Obviously our concern is to make sure that there are clear and effective protocols to deal with situations where superiors in the church have not fulfilled their obligations to protect children and there are theoretically, I guess, canons that could apply here but obviously they have not been sufficient." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMISSION MEMBER, MARIE COLLINS, SAYING: "I was very pleased with the opportunity to meet the Holy Father and I would like to say I know there's many, many survivors around the world who are hoping and have great expectations of this commission and what I can say so far is you can't make concrete promises. But as a survivor myself I am hopeful that we are going to achieve what is hoped for, but it is very early days yet."
- Embargoed: 18th May 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Vatican City State
- Country: Vatican City State
- Topics: Crime,People,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA3OR42SDA1G9TF77W06T0KI73B
- Story Text: A group formed to help the Catholic Church fight the clerical sexual abuse of minors pledged justice for victims and survivors as it concluded its inaugural meeting on Saturday (May 3).
In February the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child accused the Vatican of systematically turning a blind eye to decades of abuse and attempting to cover up sex crimes. Accusations that Pope Francis had not taken a strong enough stance against clerical sexual abuse tarnished the overwhelmingly positive reviews he received on reaching the first anniversary of his election to the papacy in April.
Pope Francis set up the Vatican Commission for the Protection of Minors with eight members - four women and four men - including Ireland's Marie Collins who was molested by a priest as a child. The commission members make a core group to help the Catholic Church fight the abuse of minors that has haunted it for over two decades.
Speaking to journalists following the group's three-day meeting, commission member Cardinal Sean O'Malley said members of the church had to be accountable when it came to child protection.
"Obviously our concern about accountability is accountability for everyone in the Church regardless of what their status is and in the suggestions for protocols that we hope to develop we will address how these protocols should include everybody and have very clear and transparent ways of dealing with accountability, both in those who perpetrate the crime of sexual abuse and those who are negligent in child protection," he said.
"Our concern is to make sure that there are clear and effective protocols to deal with situations where superiors in the church have not fulfilled their obligations to protect children and there are theoretically, I guess, canons that could apply here but obviously they have not been sufficient," he added.
Collins was abused in her native Ireland in the 1960s and has campaigned for the protection of children and for justice for victims of clerical paedophilia.
"I was very pleased with the opportunity to meet the Holy Father and I would like to say I know there's many, many survivors around the world who are hoping and have great expectations of this commission and what I can say so far is you can't make concrete promises. But as a survivor myself I am hopeful that we are going to achieve what is hoped for, but it is very early days yet," she said at the news conference.
The results of the group's work will be communicated directly to Pope Francis who has has vowed to continue procedures put in place by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
The pope often makes a bee-line for younger members of his flock, allowing them to take photos with him, accepting their gifts with obvious delight Child abuse litigation has cost the Catholic Church some $3 billion (1.7 billion British pounds) in settlements in the United States alone and shaken the moral authority of leaders of the world's largest religious denomination. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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