Press TV
September 23, 2011
http://presstv.com/detail/200692.html
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| Pope Benedict XVI is seen before meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the house of the German Bishops' Conference in the German capital, Berlin on September 22, 2011. |
An American group representing victims of sex abuse by Catholic priests accuses Pope Benedict XVI of failure to tackle the issue appropriately, urging him to take action to halt sexual harassment.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) demanded on Thursday that his Holiness institute significant reforms to curb the immorality, AFP reported.
"It's sad that in Germany, where hundreds of brave, wounded child sex abuse victims have spoken up in the last year, the pope can't bring himself to openly address the most devastating crisis in modern church history," said SNAP's president Barbara Blaine.
"If he can't even talk about it, there's little chance he can fix it," she added.
The remarks come as pontiff has begun a four-day visit to Germany, his homeland, where a great number of Christians have abandoned the Roman Catholic Church in protest at the priests' sexual abuse of youths.
The Vatican has announced that the Pope would most probably meet some of the abuse victims in Germany, while critics insist that his goodwill gestures do not cut the mustard.
"We keep looking for the papal speech in which he outlines clear, specific action steps that will help prevent future clergy sex crimes and cover-ups. But it never happens. This time is no exception," Blaine noted.
"It's ironic that the pope speaks of justice while his lawyers and church lawyers across the globe consistently fight to stop child sex abuse victims from being heard in court."
After a meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Pope addressed the German parliament, welcoming a privilege seldom granted.
Dozens of German MPs walked out in protest at the Pope's speech, while many joined a simultaneous demonstration against his visit.
Up to 10 thousand people have held protest rallies under the motto 'No Power to the Dogma' during Pope's visit to Germany.
The Church, which is not obliged to report such criminality to any authority under the Vatican's laws, is suspected of having tried to sweep the abuse cases under the carpet.
The scandal, which emanated from Ireland and Pope's home country, has rocked Roman Catholic institutions in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United States.
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