Clergy Sex Abuse Victims Say Benedict Failed to Take Serious Action

CTV
February 28, 2013

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/clergy-sex-abuse-victims-say-benedict-failed-to-take-serious-action-1.1177025

As Benedict XVI’s papacy ended Thursday with crowds of well-wishers at the Vatican showing their support, clerical sex abuse victims continued to call for action against child predators within the Church, disappointed in what they see as a failure by the pontiff to take real action.

The U.S.-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, announced on the same day that it has submitted a report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, blasting the Vatican’s handling of the “ongoing worldwide sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.”

The Vatican has pledged to report to the UN on its efforts to protect children from abuse and sexual violence.

But SNAP said little has been done to address the problem

The group teamed up with the Center for Constitutional Rights, a non-profit legal group,to produce its submission to the UN, which outlines how Church policies and practices have enabled priests to take advantage of children.

“The church has put itself and its reputation above the welfare of children at every step, in many cases knowingly moving a pedophile priest from one congregation to the next to keep things quiet, allowing the priest to continue to operate and have contact with children,” Pam Spees, a senior attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, said in a statement.

“This UN body has authority to determine whether the Holy See has violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It’s a long overdue calling to account.”

In 2001, the CCR filed a complaint on behalf of SNAP against Benedict XVI and high-level Vatican officials to the International Criminal Court, asking it to investigate possible “crimes against humanity.”

At the time, the Vatican called it a “ludicrous publicity stunt” and a misuse of the international court.

Benedict XVI, who was elected in 2005, publicly addressed the clerical abuse scandal in 2010, saying the Church needs to recognize mistakes.

"I must say, we Christians, even in recent times, have often avoided the word 'repent', which seemed too tough. But now under attack from the world, which has been telling us about our sins ... we realize that it's necessary to repent, in other words, recognize what is wrong in our lives,” he said in April that year.

"Open ourselves to forgiveness ... and let ourselves be transformed. The pain of repentance, which is a purification and transformation, is a grace because it is renewal and the work of divine mercy,” he said.

But victims of clerical abuse dismissed Benedict’s comments, saying they were meaningless unless the pontiff was prepared to assume personal responsibility for the scandal and take serious action.

Shortly afterwards, Benedict met with sex abuse victims in Malta and tearfully told them that the Church will do everything possible to protect children from abusive priests and bring pedophiles to justice. He talked about “effective measures,” but did not provide details.

Benedict later recounted that meeting during his weekly public audience in St. Peter’s Square, repeating his promise of “church action.”

The following month, Benedict made surprising comments about the sex abuse scandal, saying: "The greatest persecution of the church doesn't come from enemies on the outside but is born from the sins within the church."

"The church needs to profoundly relearn penitence, accept purification, learn forgiveness but also justice," he said in response to journalists’ questions.

But while the pontiff scolded some Irish bishops over their handling of abuse cases and accepted the resignations of some others who either admitted they molested youngsters or covered up for priests who did, critics said that wasn’t enough.

Benedict also met with clerical sex abuse victims in Germany, U.S., Australia and Britain, expressing disappointment and regret for what happened to them.

SNAP says Benedict’s successor, who is expected to be chosen before Easter, needs to make child protection the church’s “number one priority.”