ROME
Christian Post
By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter
March 6, 2013
A group of survivors of sexual abuse by clergy have identified 12 cardinals who are currently a candidate for pope in the Roman Catholic Church that have the worst history when it comes to responding to child sex abuse claims.
SNAP, the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests, told media on Wednesday that it was basing its list on news reports, legal filings and victims’ statements.
“The single quickest and most effective step would be for the next pope to clearly discipline, demote, denounce and even defrock cardinals and bishops who are concealing child sex crimes. We think that’s the missing piece,” said SNAP Executive Director David Clohessy.
The top Catholic cardinals of the church are currently in Rome getting ready to vote on a replacement for Pope Benedict XVI, who became the first pope in close to 600 years to retire from his position. They know that the world is watching and expecting that they start taking steps to tackle the child abuse reports that have gripped the church over the past couple of decades.
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