View from Rome

By Christopher Lamb
The Tablet
February 11, 2016

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/columnists/3/7973/view-from-rome


It looks bad. An outspoken abuse survivor and victims’ advocate leaves the Vatican’s child safeguarding commission. Peter Saunders, the founder of the National Association of People Abused in Childhood, had been growing increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of change. Why, he asked, had a tribunal for bishops accused of covering up abuse still not been set up when it was announced last June? His fellow members on the commission were unhappy with his frequent comments to the media, which included criticism of Pope Francis for appointing Bishop Juan Barros to Osorno, Chile. Bishop Barros has been accused of covering up abuse.

Speaking at his hotel in Rome on Monday, Saunders said that on Saturday members of the commission expressed their displeasure with his views after presenting him with a set of press cuttings that quoted him. A vote of no confidence was taken with 15 out of the 17 members in favour of him taking leave of absence. The commission has been clear that its raison d’etre is to propose initiatives to the Pope and not to comment on individual cases (See Sheila Hollins, page 8).

“I suppose there was a misunderstanding there because I actually thought we were going to get cracking with child protection,” Saunders told me. But his removal from the commission begs a more pressing question: does Rome “get it” when it comes to clerical sexual abuse?

There are some worrying signs. A training session for new bishops last September, run by the Congregation for Bishops, included an address by a French priest, Mgr Tony Anatrella, who said bishops are not duty bound to report allegations of abuse to the police.