UNITED KINGDOM
The Tablet
07 February 2015 by Hannah Roberts in Rome
Pope Francis was wrong when he said it was acceptable to smack children, and should revise what he said, a British abuse survivor advising the Vatican on child protection has insisted.
Peter Saunders, who was invited to meet Francis last year, has been appointed to a panel of experts advising the pope on how to tackle the clerical sex abuse scandal.
All 17 members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, met for the first time on Friday. Other members include leading British psychiatrist Baroness (Sheilla) Hollins and Irish abuse survivor and campaigner Marie Collins. At a press conference following the commission’s meeting, Mr Saunders said that the “elephant in the room” was Pope Francis’ apparent support for smacking.
Francis told the General Audience on Wednesday that parents should in certain circumstances punish their children, advising them to “do the right thing, and then move on,” as he acted out a smacking movement. He quoted a father who said he smacked his children sometimes ‘but never in the face so as to not humiliate them,’ and said he was doing the right thing.
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