ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
July 8, 2019
The Vatican has apparently waived diplomatic immunity for a French archbishop accused of abuse. We are encouraged by this move and long for the day such cooperation with law enforcement is an everyday procedure for church officials.
We are cautious, however, because so often the church hierarchy tends to act properly only in the most high profile of all cases, such as with the case of Theodore McCarrick. In the past year, we have seen many announcements from church officials that seem to exaggerate the importance of one decision, claiming that these choices herald ‘a new day’ in how church officials deal with abuse and cover up. We hope that church officials will not revert to the secretive patterns of old once the glare of publicity wanes.
Still, no one can deny the decision to waive immunity for Archbishop Luigi Ventura is a positive step forward. We hope it will prompt other church employees, not only in France but throughout the world, to call police with information or suspicions about clergy sex crimes and cover ups.
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