CALIFORNIA
Thousand Oaks Acorn
Directive from French monsignor deemed ‘opinion’
By Stephanie Bertholdo
sbertholdo@theacorn.com
News reports claiming that new Vatican guidelines excluding bishops from being liable for reporting clerical child abuse cases to the police are being refuted by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and by some local churches.
According to recent media reports French monsignor Tony Anatrella told newly appointed bishops that they are not required to report abuse to law officials.
The duty, he said, is the responsibility of the victims and their families. Anatrella’s comments were reported in Catholic news sites and magazines, including Newsweek.
However, not every Catholic district agrees.
Adrian Marquez Alarcon, director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said the Archdiocese “has a zero tolerance policy and reports incidents of abuse, whether by clergy, staff, volunteers or others to law enforcement and collaborates actively with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute abuse.”
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