GENEVA
Key 103 (UK)
The Vatican has been quizzed for the first time over its handling of the global priest sex abuse scandal.
At a UN hearing in Geneva, officials were asked a series of questions about why they would not release data and how they planned to prevent future abuse.
Kirsten Sandberg, chairwoman of the 18-strong committee, told the Vatican delegation: “The view of committee is that the best way to prevent abuses is to reveal old ones – openness instead of sweeping offences under the carpet.
“It seems to date your procedures are not very transparent.”
The Vatican has long insisted it is not responsible for abusive priests, claiming they are not employees of the Vatican but members of the broader Catholic Church which it exercises limited control over. …
A member of the committee asked about the Church’s practice of moving priests suspected of abuse.
The Archbishop replied: “It is a no-go simply to move people from one diocese to another.”
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