BUENOS AIRES (ARGENTINA)
October 7, 2017
By Santiago del Carril
Pope Francis admits the Church has not done enough to tackle the abhorent acts commited by some members of the clergy. The Vatican and the Argentine Synod say they are taking steps to tackle the problem. But survivors, victims and experts warn that some inside the Church are resistant to change and that many cases still go unreported.
In the Roman Catholic Church, they can no longer ignore the elephant in the room.
Growing public awareness of sex abuse offences committed by members of the clergy – in part aided by bombshell cases that have revealed scandalous attempts to cover-up the crimes and critically acclaimed movies addressing the topic, such as Spotlight – is piling pressure on the Church’s leaders, forcing them to act.
Yet experts consulted by the Times warn that some inside the Church remain resistant to change and that many abuse cases still go unreported.
Both the Vatican and locally, the Argentine Synod (Argentine Catholic Episcopal conference), have said they are taking steps to combat the rape and molestation of victims by members of the clergy, forming commissions to create policies on how to investigate these cases, protect minors and future potential victims.
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