UNITED STATES
The Guardian
Karen McVeigh in New York
guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 February 2013
Victims of the child sex abuse crisis that has engulfed the Catholic church during Pope Benedict’s tenure welcomed his unexpected resignation on Monday, amid speculation over what prompted his departure.
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap), an organisation of 12,000 members worldwide, claim Benedict is personally responsible for widespread abuse within the church because he chose to protect its reputation over the safety of children. US lawyers who are currently suing the pontiff and other high-ranking Holy See officials for systematically concealing sexual crimes around the world, said his resignation may lead to more international prosecutions.
David Clohessy, executive director of Snap, condemned the pope’s “terrible record” on child sex abuse and said he hoped he would “finally show some courageous leadership on the abuse crisis” in his remaining days.
Clohessy told the Guardian: “Before he became pope his predecessor put him in charge of the abuse crisis. He has read thousands of pages of reports of the abuse cases from across the world. He knows more about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups than anyone else in the church yet he has done precious little to protect children.”
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