Vatican Accused over Abuse Cover-up

Belfast Telegraph
March 20, 2012

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/vatican-accused-over-abuse-coverup-16133656.html

Abuse campaigner Maeve Lewis has hit out at separating trainee priests

The Vatican has been accused of not accepting responsibility for its role in the cover-up of the sex abuse of children in Ireland.

Campaigners for survivors of clerical abuse criticised a recommendation from Rome to separate trainee Catholic priests from ordinary students in universities, claiming it would segregate seminaries from the real world.

A new report on the clerical abuse crisis in Ireland found while guidelines to protect children against paedophile priests are being followed, measures must be taken to ensure trainees are properly prepared for the role.

Child protection classes will be introduced for seminaries, who should also have separate living quarters to focus on prayer and finding their priestly identity, it said.

Maeve Lewis of One in Four, which supports survivors of abuse, said separating seminarians from the ordinary world could have an adverse effect.

"One of the things we've learned is the need for priests to be more integrated into society to have an understanding," said Ms Lewis.

"These recommendations would reduce the exposure of seminarians to ordinary life. I think that would be regretful."

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin - a campaigner for survivors of abuse and for reform in the church - said the move would not be about locking up the seminarians.

"It isn't a cloistered life," he said.

"The seminarians here at St Patrick's College, for example, spend the vast majority of their time with other students. But in a seminary there must always be that space for prayer and reflection."