The head of a papal commission to protect minors has warned Catholics not to behave as if the clergy sex abuse crisis is over.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston told a press conference in Rome that some prelates were still reluctant to deal with the problem openly.
“It would be perilous for us, as leaders of the Church, to consider that the scandal of clergy sexual abuse is for the most part a matter of history and not a pressing concern here and now,” Cardinal O’Malley said.
“It’s not a pleasant topic. It’s easier just to ignore it and hope it will go away (but) when we are defensive and secretive, the results are disastrous,” he said.
Cardinal O’Malley heads the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Earlier this month, Pope Francis sent a stern letter to bishops around the world ordering them to cooperate as a matter of priority with the commission.