The Church’s strong anti-abuse protocols are enshrined in law says Jesuit priest Hans Zollner, but they are not being universally applied. “More broadly, the norms adopted by Rome indicate the right direction, but we currently have no mechanism to monitor their implementation.” Zollner, director of the Institute of Anthropology at Rome’s Gregorian University, believes the Read more
A top anti-abuse expert has highlighted the lack of accountability by the Catholic Church in implementing safeguarding norms established to protect children and vulnerable individuals. While the Church has been praised for its efforts in establishing norms to protect individuals from abuse, “we don’t have a culture of accountability when it comes to the implementation Read more
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
One of the Catholic Church’s leading experts on sex abuse and its prevention has given a major lecture in Paris at the invitation of the French bishops. “I’m going to scandalise you,” Father Hans Zollner SJ warned his audience as he started his talk about the clergy sex abuse crisis. “The Church’ does not exist. Read more
At an April 8-10 online symposium with religious representatives from around the world, Pope Francis expressed his hope that religions, together, can fight the profound evil of child abuse. After decades of child sexual abuse scandals the Church is ready to share its successes — and failures — with other religious and lay institutions. Francis’ Read more
A guide to fighting abuse in lay movements has been ordered by the Vatican. If an organisation is led by a charismatic leader who is followed uncritically and commands or demands control over members, the members are at risk of cases of physical, sexual and psychological abuse, Father Hans Zollner SJ says. The Vatican office Read more
Local laws and court decisions regarding clerical sexual abuse and its cover-up must be respected, Fr Hans Zollner says. Zollner, who is a leading expert in child protection and one of the chief organisers of February’s summit on child protection, says the Church’s responsibility to obey the laws of the land was clarified several years Read more