GENEVA
CNN
Rome (CNN) — For the first time, the Vatican is being forced to answer allegations it enabled the sexual abuse of children by protecting pedophile priests as a U.N. committee concludes its investigation of the Holy See.
A handful of Vatican officials, including Monsignor Silvano Tomasi, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, and Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s former chief sex-crimes prosecutor, stood ready to answer questions during two Thursday sessions.
“It’s a first step,” said Joelle Casteix, a regional director for SNAP — the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “Five years ago we never thought that something like this would even be possible.”
Since taking the helm of the Roman Catholic Church in March, Pope Francis has told a senior Vatican official to “act decisively” against sexual abuse and carry out “due proceedings against the guilty.”
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.