The Global South region of the Catholic Church is missing out, says a member of the Vatican’s advisory commission on clerical sexual abuse. He admitted on Friday that the Church was failing to tackle the scourge of clerical sexual abuse in the southern hemisphere. There was a “disparity in training and prevention of child sexual Read more
Pope Francis has asked for an annual audit providing a “reliable account on what is presently being done and what needs to change” to protect children and vulnerable adults from predator clergy. Each country will contribute to the audit evaluating how national Catholic Churches are implementing such measures. “Without more transparency the faithful will continue Read more
Pope Francis has asked the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to produce an annual report on what the Catholic Church is doing around the world to prevent the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. In an audience at the Vatican on April 29, the pope called on the commission to produce the annual 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
A former member of Pope Francis’ commission on clergy sexual abuse said the recent revision of the criminal section of the Catholic Church’s canon law do not go far enough to protect children and vulnerable adults from possible predators. Marie Collins pointed out that the new provisions do not mandate that a priest found guilty Read more
Pope Francis has appointed a prominent Chilean survivor of clerical sex abuse to a Vatican commission that focuses on education to prevent abuse in the Catholic Church. Juan Carlos Cruz, an international advocate for abuse victims, has been appointed to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The 59-year-old Cruz was abused as a Read more
The Vatican is calling Cardinal George Pell’s conviction of sexual abuse of minors’ as “painful”, saying it “shocked many people”. In a statement, the Vatican acknowledges the “utmost respect for the Australian judicial authorities” and says the Vatican is waiting for the outcome of the appeals process. It says, (Pell) “has the right to defend Read more
The Catholic Church is aiming to be a model in terms of involvement in resolving sexual abuse issues. The goal is to find in the Church “a source of strength” that can offer its knowledge and expertise to the world. 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
Mr Bill Kilgallon, director of the National Office for Professional Standards of the Catholic Church in New Zealand, has been attending a meeting in Rome of The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. He was one of three people to speak when Pope Francis met with the commission face-to-face for the first time. Together Read more