UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, May 19, 2014
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314-503-0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )
In yet another sign that the Vatican is moving backwards on clergy sex crimes and cover ups, Pope Francis is setting up yet another church abuse panel – this one to help hear appeals of accused child molesting clerics.
[Naharnet]
Put quite simply: What matters most is the safety of boys and girls, not the bureaucracy for proven, admitted and credibly accused priests, nuns, seminarians, brothers and bishops.
This is another indication that the Catholic hierarchy’s main focus remains on accused priests, not on vulnerable kids or wounded adults.
Kids aren’t raped by priests because Vatican officials move slowly. Kids are raped by priests because Vatican officials continue to be more worried about their colleagues’ careers than their flocks’ safety.
Rather than tweak biased and secretive internal church processes, Francis should be helping to reform secular child safety laws and firing bishops who violate them. Instead of changing an inherently self-serving procedure, the Pope should be making sure his staff fully cooperate with effective secular justice systems which have long done a far better job of resolving child sex abuse and cover up cases (instead of putting themselves above such justice systems, as Italy’s bishops have recently done).
It matters little what church panels are set up and who’s appointed to them, as long as top Catholic officials keep rebuffing and stiff-arming law enforcement and government officials across the globe, whether they’re in Poland, Ireland or Geneva.
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