Child Abuse Campaigner Handpicked by the Pope to Head up Commission into Paedophile Priests Suddenly Leaves the Vatican 24 Hours after Warning the Pontiff He Has to Do More to Tackle the Issue

By Katie Louise Davies
Daily Mail
February 6, 2016

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3434855/Child-abuse-campaigner-handpicked-Pope-head-commission-paedophile-priests-suddenly-leaves-Vatican-24-hours-warning-pontiff-tackle-issue.html

A British campaigner who said he would be outraged if the Pope did not attend meetings to protect children from sex abuse abuse in the church has left the Vatican.

Peter Saunders, who was abused by a priest as a child, was selected by Pope Francis to serve on the Vatican's sex abuse commission in 2014.

This week the abuse campaigner, who said he had invited the Pope to a three-day meeting of the commission, told The Times it would be 'outrageous if he didn't attend'.

Peter Saunders who said he would be outraged if the Pope did not attend meetings to protect children from sex abuse abuse in the church has left the Vatican

This week the abuse campaigner said he had invited the Pope to a three-day meeting of the commission and that it would be 'outrageous' if the Pope didn't attend

The Vatican said it was decided at a commission meeting that Saunders would take a leave of absence.

Saunders did not immediately reply to a telephone message requesting a comment on the circumstances of his departure.

It said Saunders would now 'consider how he might best support the commission's work'.

Last year, Saunders said that Australian Cardinal George Pell should be dismissed over allegations he failed to take action to protect children years ago.

Pell is now the Vatican's economic minister.

The 17-member commission, which is advising Pope Francis on how to root out sex abuse in the Church, later distanced itself from Saunders comments.

Saunders, who was abused by a priest as a child, was selected by Pope Francis, pictured in St Peter's Square, to serve on the Vatican's sex abuse commission in 2014

Saunders has also been outspoken about a case of an alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in Chile and that threatened to resign from the commission over the Vatican's handling of that case.

The Vatican says the commission is an advisory group and members should not make comments on individual cases.