Abuse Victims Criticise Benedict Xvi's " Empty Words"

The Euronews
February 12, 2013

http://www.euronews.com/2013/02/12/abuse-victims-criticise-benedict-xvi-s-empty-words/

[with video]

Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned on February 11 and is expected to leave his post on February 28, will leave behind a Vatican administration mired in scandal over child sex abuse by priests. David Lorenz, who heads up a US group for victims, says the pope failed to really tackle the problem. Lorenz himself was abused by a priest working as a guidance counsellor at his school when he was 16.


Lorenz himself was abused by a priest working as a guidance counsellor at his school when he was 16. Lorenz said of the outgoing pope, “He’s apologised the Irish. He’s apologised to the United States. He’s apologised to Australia, Germany, Spain – you know, letters of apology for what’s gone on in those countries. But the fact is there’s been no action, and words without action really are emptiness.”

Looking ahead to the next pope, Lorenz said, “I’m concerned that we’ll get somebody just as poor and just as rigid on this issue as he was.” Cardinal Roger Mahony, the former Archbishop of Los Angeles, was stripped of his public duties after being linked to efforts to conceal abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.

Mahony is still planning to take part in voting for the new pope.


David Lorenz, who heads up a US group for victims, says the pope failed to really tackle the problem. Lorenz himself was abused by a priest working as a guidance counsellor at his school when he was 16.


Lorenz himself was abused by a priest working as a guidance counsellor at his school when he was 16. Lorenz said of the outgoing pope, “He’s apologised the Irish. He’s apologised to the United States. He’s apologised to Australia, Germany, Spain – you know, letters of apology for what’s gone on in those countries. But the fact is there’s been no action, and words without action really are emptiness.”

Looking ahead to the next pope, Lorenz said, “I’m concerned that we’ll get somebody just as poor and just as rigid on this issue as he was.” Cardinal Roger Mahony, the former Archbishop of Los Angeles, was stripped of his public duties after being linked to efforts to conceal abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.

Mahony is still planning to take part in voting for the new pope. Cardinal Roger Mahony, the former Archbishop of Los Angeles, was stripped of his public duties after being linked to efforts to conceal abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.

Mahony is still planning to take part in voting for the new pope. Cardinal Roger Mahony, the former Archbishop of Los Angeles, was stripped of his public duties after being linked to efforts to conceal abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.

Mahony is still planning to take part in voting for the new pope.

Abuse victim Fernando Montanez said, “If the church allows him to vote then I think we should abide by what our church leaders say, that he can vote.”

More than 6,000 Catholic priests have been accused of child abuse in the United States since 1950.