ROME
Crux
By John L. Allen Jr.
Associate editor October 12, 2015
ROME — A member of Pope Francis’ Vatican commission to fight child sexual abuse said Monday that when the pontiff praised the “courage” of the American bishops in handling abuse during his recent trip to the United States, he was engaged in a delicate balancing act.
That line stirred controversy among abuse survivors and their advocates, who argued that some US prelates have a less than exemplary record in terms of making the Church’s “zero tolerance” standard stick.
Bill Kilgallon, a career social work and health service professional who heads up a working group within the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors on anti-abuse guidelines, acknowledged the point.
“It would be fair to say that bishops have varied,” he told Crux on Monday.
Yet Kilgallon said that for reform to be successful, Francis not only has to demonstrate solidarity with victims, but also has to bring his own bishops along.
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