- Title: VATICAN/ITALY: Vatican reflects on scathing U.N. report on child abuse
- Date: 6th February 2014
- Summary: VATICAN CITY (FEBRUARY 6, 2014) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SPANISH PRIEST FATHER JOSE CARLOS, SAYING: "I think we have moved forward a lot on this issue, with this pope and also with Pope Benedict the church has opened a lot on this subject to clarify what went on and to move forward. I think things will get better, we will clarify everything." TOURISTS ARRIVING IN SQUARE VIEW OF VATICAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRACEY AND DAVE DEDAMS, SAYING: "Just because they are a priest doesn't mean they are above the law or different from anybody else. They are exactly the same as anyone." STATUES ON VATICAN TOURIST TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANADIAN TOURIST GORDON YOUNG, SAYING: "The Vatican should completely disclose everything they know. The pope should be the leader in this and should make sure that every person who has committed a crime is punished." STATUES (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT LAURA POLLI, SAYING: "The church needs to intervene in a concrete manner and give a sign that they are efficiently dealing with this and not just hand out words." VIEW OF VATICAN
- Embargoed: 21st February 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Vatican City State, Italy
- City:
- Country: Italy Vatican City State
- Topics: Crime,International Relations,Politics,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA89QBHNAV5B1RKDLO983R837BY
- Story Text: The Vatican on Thursday (February 6) was still reeling over a U.N. report that accused it of systematically turning a blind eye to decades of sexual abuse of children by priests, and demanded it immediately turn over known or suspected offenders to civil justice.
The Vatican called the report "distorted" and "unfair" and said the United Nations had ignored steps taken in the past decade to protect children.
The combative exchange sets the scene for the Vatican's biggest clash with the United Nations since 1994. Then, at a U.N. population conference in Cairo, the Vatican forced the international organisation to back down on a proposal to approve abortion as a means of birth control.
The report also lays out a fresh challenge for a commission named by Pope Francis in December to advise him on a scandal that has plagued the Church for decades.
Italian newspapers all ran front page headlines on the issue.
"U.N. accuses Vatican of allowing abuse" ran one headline and "Priests now stand alongside the victims but don't ask us to defend abortion" said another.
The Vatican initially planned a muted response, according to a person familiar with the matter, but raised its tone, after much debate, in response to the report's demands that the Catholic Church scale back its opposition to abortion, artificial contraception and homosexuality.
Priests at the Vatican on Thursday were confident the church was moving in the right direction on handling the issue on abuse.
"I think we have moved forward a lot on this issue, with this pope and also with Pope Benedict the church has opened a lot on this subject to clarify what went on and to move forward. I think things will get better, we will clarify everything," said Spanish priest Father Jose Carlos.
People passing by St. Peter's Square, many of them Catholics, were adamant that the Catholic Church shouldn't behave as if it were above the law.
"Just because they are a priest doesn't mean they are above the law or different from anybody else. They are exactly the same as anyone," said British couple Tracey and Dave Dedams.
"The Vatican should completely disclose everything they know," said Canadian tourist Gordon Young.
"The pope should be the leader in this and should make sure that every person who has committed a crime is punished," Young added.
Pope Francis, in office for only 11 months, has called sexual abuse of children "the shame of the Church" and has vowed to continue procedures put in place by his predecessor, Benedict XVI. He has set up a commission to deal with the issue.
"The church needs to intervene in a concrete manner and give a sign that they are efficiently dealing with this and not just hand out words," said Rome resident Laura Polli.
The report said Francis's commission should invite outside experts and victims to participate in an investigation of abusers "as well as the conduct of the Catholic hierarchy in dealing with them". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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