U.n. Scolds Vatican

By Herald Staff
Boston Herald
February 8, 2014

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/editorials/2014/02/un_scolds_vatican

The authors of a new United Nations report on the Vatican’s treatment of children and its handling of sexual abuse by priests have allowed their contempt for core church teachings to cloud otherwise meaningful recommendations for how the church can improve. And that is a terrible shame.

In a progress report of sorts released this week the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child ripped the Holy See for its past actions to protect predator priests and for the church’s damnable efforts to protect its reputation over victimized children. The committee issued a slew of recommendations to both prevent future abuse and to ensure child victims come first.

One particularly strong recommendation is that the Vatican take action against members of the church hierarchy who themselves victimized children simply by reassigning their abusers to other parishes, where they were free to abuse again. Pope Francis could start right in his own backyard in Rome, where Cardinal Bernard Law now makes his comfortable home.

But given the opportunity to wag their fingers before a global audience the report’s authors simply could not pass up the opportunity, condemning church policies on abortion and contraception and recommending that the Vatican amend canon law to allow both.

Yes, really!

The committee helpfully suggests that the Holy See “review” its position on abortion “with a view to identifying circumstances under which access to abortion services can be permitted.” As if changing fundamental church doctrine were as simple as revising a city charter.

The committee also criticizes church teachings on homosexuality and expresses deep concern that the church would dare deny contraception to adolescents.

The U.N. committee insists each of its recommendations is aimed at protecting children, and the ones that deal with the sexual abuse of children truly are.

But when it comes to the church’s social teachings it seems the committee is using children merely as an excuse to express its own antipathy.