The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors is undergoing a significant shift towards a more impact-focused direction, according to Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, the commission’s president. The commission held its plenary assembly in Rome from May 3-6, during which they discussed various topics and made several important decisions. According to the commission’s May Read more
A group of prelates joined in a walk of solidarity with victims of child sexual abuse following the end of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) fall plenary held in Baltimore, Maryland. Billed as the Pathways to Prevention, Healing and Justice Inaugural Sunrise Walk, it coincided with the annual day of observance for the Read more
A female survivor of abuse by a priest has written to seminarians imploring them to become good priests and to make sure the “bitter truth” always prevails. The letter, written in Italian, was sent to Pope Francis who requested it be made public with the author’s identity withheld. “Please, do not sweep things under the Read more
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston and head of the Vatican Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, says the Church and sexual abuse perpetrators need to be held accountable. In a video message posted on the Archdiocese of Boston website after the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report was released, O’Malley expressed his concern about the Read more
Protocols are needed to hold bishops accountable for sex abuse, says Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston. Numerous accusations of sexual abuse of minors and adults have arisen against former Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. O’Malley acknowledged “a credible and substantiated allegation” involving a minor and McCarrick when the prelate was a priest in the Read more
Pope Francis has renewed the mandate of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors two months after the Commission became inactive. During his recent trip to South America, Pope Francis addressed concerns about the expiry of the Commission’s mandate, saying the time taken to nominate members to the body was normal. He has reappointed Read more
A Chilean sex-abuse victim will be interviewed personally by the Vatican’s sex-crimes expert, Archbishop Charles Scicluna. Scicluna will travel to New York next week to interview the victim, Juan Carlos Cruz. The victim is at the centre of a scandal involving Pope Francis. Cruz says a letter he wrote in 2015 asking Pope Francis to Read more
One of the Pope’s key advisors has called for urgent action to be taken against a US bishop who shielded a priest who was a threat to children. Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley told US network CBS that the case of Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City is “a question the Holy See needs to address Read more
A papal commission to protect children is to have another survivor of clerical sexual abuse join its membership. The Commission for the Protection of Minors, which Pope Francis established in December, will also have more representatives from other countries and disciplines. Irish abuse survivor Marie Collins is already a member of the commission, headed by Read more
Pope Francis is to meet with a group of clergy sex abuse victims for the first time, possibly as early as next week. During an impromptu media session on his flight back from the Holy Land, the Pope said the meeting would take place in the first week in June. Six to eight victims would Read more