Petition Calls on Pope to Address Abuse Issues

By Stephanie Anderson
Canberra Times
June 4, 2013

www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/petition-calls-on-pope-to-address-abuse-issues-20130604-2nn8w.html


[the petition]

Bishop Pat Power has thrown his support behind a petition calling for the Pope to address the systemic causes of abuse in the Catholic Church.

The former Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra-Goulburn was joined by retired auxiliary bishop of Sydney Geoffrey Robinson in Sydney to officially launch the world-wide petition, which has already attracted around 15,000 signatures.

Addressing media on Tuesday, Bishop Power said it wasn’t indifference from the church community blocking progress on sexual abuse cases.

“I don’t think there’s apathy there,” he said.

“I think it’s really frustrating that they can’t be heard. That’s why I applaud this petition. It gives ordinary, grassroots Catholics a voice.”

Bishop Robinson said the petition urged Pope Francis to consider issues such as the lack of a “strong feminine influence” in the Church, as well as the part celibacy plays in abuse.

“I think a lot of it goes back to the celibacy question - people living an unwanted, unaccepted, unassimilated celibacy,” he said.

“Then their living conditions are not going to meet their needs. These days you’ve got a big old presbytery and one person living there. That’s no way for anyone to live really. It leads to loneliness, it leads to depression and those things in turn can lead to unhealthy things. Abuse is the worst, but it’s not the only one.”

The pair also used the occasion to launch Bishop Robertson’s new book, titled “For Christ’s Sake: End Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church… for Good”.

The petition can be found here.