ROME
National Catholic Reporter
Joshua J. McElwee | Feb. 6, 2016
ROME
The clergy sexual abuse survivor who the Vatican has said will be taking a leave of absence as a member of Pope Francis’ commission to confront the abuse crisis says he did not accept such a leave and is now seeking a meeting with the pontiff.
“I have not left and I am not leaving my position on the commission,” said British children’s advocate Peter Saunders. “I was appointed by His Holiness Pope Francis and I will only talk to him about my position.”
Saunders was speaking in a press briefing in Rome late Saturday, after the Vatican released a statement that day saying “it was decided” by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that he would be taking a leave from his position as one of its 17 members.
The British child advocate is the founder of the UK’s National Association for People Abused in Childhood. He has served on the commission since December 2014 but has also been highly critical of what he characterized as a slow process of reform of the church’s practices on sexual abuse.
The commission has been meeting in Rome this weekend.
Saunders said Saturday that commission members had taken a vote of no confidence in him that morning, but had said the vote was meant for him “to consider what my role should be with the commission.”
“I did not make a decision to take or accept any decision on a leave of absence,” he said. Saunders said it was his understanding that after the vote he would be given time to consider his role with the group, but that afterwards the Vatican released the statement reporting his leave of absence.
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