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	Asian Bishops to Discuss Sex Abuse MSN News June 10, 2011 http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4926170 Roman Catholic bishops in Asia say they plan a meeting on child sex abuse as part of "drastic and immediate measures" in the region in the wake of a global scandal that has engulfed the Church. The "Impact of Paedophilia-Crisis on the Church in Asia" seminar will discuss the seriousness of the issue and the impact on victims, according to the Federation of Roman Catholic Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC). It comes weeks after the Vatican said priests suspected of sexually abusing children should face legal action in a letter laying out provisional procedures. Bishops have until May 2012 to deliberate on the proposals. An undated letter from FABC said it had decided to hold the conference, to be held in Bangkok in November, because bishops "receive letters from different quarters of the Church that paedophilia has already become a considerably serious problem in Asia". The invitation stressed that while the child abuse crisis had "not yet come into the open in the societies of Asian countries", the Church should not be "complacent" and assume paedophilia is a problem of only the West. A FABC representative confirmed the meeting would be held in November but was not reachable for further comment. The Vatican has come under intense pressure in recent years over paedophilia and the scandal of child-abuser priests peaked last year with a string of high-profile revelations in Belgium, Germany and Ireland. The Holy See has been accused of being slow to out paedophile priests and Amnesty International said in April it was still failing to meet international obligations to protect children. May's guidelines from the Vatican, which stressed that civil law should always be followed, were criticised by victims' groups who called for internationally binding policies. The seminar in Asia will include lectures on the definition of paedophilia, the impact of the issue on the Church, the rights of the alleged abuser and the obligation of religious leaders to protect children. A group of bishops at the November 14 to 19 meeting will be tasked with devising guidelines for how to deal with sex abuse scandals in the region.
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