Church Activist Upset That Cardinals Who Covered up Sex Abuse Will Vote for New Pope

By Mark Abrams
CBS Philly
March 6, 2013

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/03/06/church-activist-upset-that-cardinals-who-covered-up-sex-abuse-will-vote-for-new-pope/

Susan Matthews

ROME (CBS) - The Philadelphia woman who is behind a website open for Catholic dialogue on the clergy sex abuse scandal is hoping the Cardinals selecting the next Pope will elect someone who isn’t afraid to tackle the crisis.

Susan Matthews, founder and publisher of Catholics4Change.com, says the site grew out of frustration over the lack of places for Catholics to speak freely and honestly about the clergy abuse scandal here in Philadelphia.

However, she says it’s just an issue limited to the United States, but is clearly a problem for the church all over Europe as well.

And while Matthews says Pope Benedict tried to address it, his efforts fell short. She says the solution is simple.

“Act as Jesus would and Jesus would never, ever allow children to be harmed and would never allow that cover-up to continue. So that becomes really simple then, a complicated issue becomes very simple when you look at it from that standpoint.”

Matthews acknowledges she is angry that cardinals who covered up the scandal are being allowed to enter the conclave and vote for the next pope.