ROME
The Windsor Star (Canada)
Agence France-presse
February 10, 2012
Catholic leaders voiced hope on Thursday that the Vatican’s first summit on clerical child abuse will mark a radical turnaround for the church after decades of cover-ups.
The four-day meeting opened with a message from Pope Benedict XVI, who has faced thousands of abuse scandals in Europe and the United States since becoming pontiff, calling for “profound renewal of the church at every level.”
Bishops, cardinals and heads of religious orders gathered for frank discussions which stressed the importance of applying the church’s experience in western countries to other parts of the world.
Vatican prosecutor Charles Scicluna said he had received over 4,000 reports of abuse over the past decade including 1,000 in the past two years, and warned bishops would be held to account if they ignored new anti-abuse rules. He said no-one will be able to hide behind “omerta,” or a code of silence, any longer.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.