Michael Dooley, the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, says a Vatican conference on sexual abuse is just ”the beginning”, despite the lack of concrete action. Last week he told the Otago Daily Times Insight the international gathering of bishops was about getting ”attitudes right”. Pope Francis had indicated new guidelines would follow on the response to Read more
Dr Murray Heasley says the outcome of the Vatican conference on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis was a major let-down for the survivors. Heasley is an Auckland-based spokesperson for the Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions and their Supporters. He was speaking from Rome to the Otago Daily Times’ Insight. Read more
A New Zealand sexual abuse survivor, Darryl Smith, has gone to the Vatican to take part in survivor meetings, coinciding with a gathering of the leaders of bishops’ conferences from around the world. Smith is hopeful of an audience with Pope Francis while in Rome. With him he is carrying a letter of introduction from Read more
A conference on addictions is taking place at the Vatican this week, with Vatican representatives joining forces with scientific experts. The conference is entitled “Drugs and addictions, an obstacle to integral human development.” Presentations will include best practices for treatment and prevention. The Dicastery says almost five percent of the world’s population has, at some Read more