UNITED STATES
U.S. Catholic

By Father Paul Smyth, CMF

The Symposium, Towards Healing and Renewal from 6th – 9th February 2012 at the Gregorian University in Rome was attended by approximately 220 people; 91 bishops: 80 priests; 15 female religious, the rest being lay men and women with related experience, (victims, psychotherapists, lawyers etc.). During the mornings there were presentations focusing on different dimensions of the abuse of minors by clergy, with presenters coming from Ireland, UK, Malta, South Africa, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Philippines and Italy. With representatives from every continent it was the first time that the issue of child abuse by clergy had been explored from an international perspective rather than as a reaction to the crisis as it emerged in particular situations.

As one would expect given recent history, points highlighted in the presentations included:
The primacy of the protection of Children.
The…