VATICAN CITY
Naharnet (Lebanon)
The Vatican said a report from the United Nations due out on Friday would heavily criticize its handling of abuse cases but would not find it in violation of an anti-torture convention.
“The Committee did not find the Holy See in violation of the CAT (Convention Against Torture),” the Vatican said in a statement ahead of the official publication of the conclusions of the Geneva-based panel later on Friday.
The Vatican also said the report did not find the Church’s opposition to abortion constituted torture “thus safeguarding the fundamental right of freedom of religion and the protection and promotion of human life”.
But it said the panel of independent rights and legal experts would accuse the Vatican of “failing to mandate that abuse accusations be reported to police, moving clergy to evade discipline and failing to see that victims obtain adequate compensation.”
“The Holy See takes note and will give serious consideration to these recommendations,” it said.
But the Vatican also reiterated its defense that priests around the world are not “legally tied to the Vatican as a sovereign” and instead fall under national jurisdictions.
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