Broadside: U.n. Confronts Vatican on Child Abuse

NECN
January 23, 2014

http://www.necn.com/01/20/14/Broadside-UN-confronts-Vatican-on-child-/landing_broadside.html?blockID=861954&feedID=11122

[with video]

[Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child - BishopAccountability.org]

The workings of the Vatican are a mystery to most outsiders. But last week there was a breakthrough on two fronts.

First, the Associated Press obtained documents showing that Pope Benedict defrocked nearly 400 priests over just two years -- 2011 and 2012 -- for sexually molesting children.



The document was prepared from data the Vatican had been compiling to help officials defend the church before a U.N. committee.

The U.N. panel is the other piece of this story.



In Geneva, Switzerland, a U.N. panel grilled Vatican officials about allegations stating it protected pedophile priests at the expense of victims.

The panel questioned whether the Vatican failed to abide by the terms of the U.N. convention on the rights of the child.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of bishopaccountability.org, has been keeping tabs on these events. She joined Jim Braude to offer her insight and opinion on the happenings.