Pope Francis Will Meet Irish Survivors of Clerical Abuse in the Vatican Next Week

By Pat Flanagan
Irish Mirror
June 25, 2014

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/pope-francis-meet-irish-survivors-3769170

Pope Francis will meet Irish survivors of clerical abuse in the Vatican next week, it emerged today.

It will be the first time since his election that the Pontiff has met with victims to hear of their experiences.

It will also be the first time a Pope has met Irish survivors.

Pope Francis has promised to continue a “zero tolerance” approach to abuse.

The Irish Catholic newspaper reported several survivors will travel from Ireland for the meeting, expected to take place at the Vatican guest house where the Pontiff has made his home.

It is understood they’ll be accompanied by clerical abuse victims from other parts of the world, including Britain, the US and Poland. One abuse survivor, Amnesty International Ireland chief Colm O’Gorman, said last night that the Pope must not merely listen, but respond.

He added: “The Vatican has never acknowledged its responsibility for the cover-up of the rape and abuse of

children.

“I hope Pope Francis will finally face the truth that the Vatican was at the centre of that cover-up.

“If we don’t have truth we can’t believe we will ever have justice.

“He needs to make sure the Vatican doesn’t become a place of protection for people who need to face the courts.”

The meeting, which Vatican sources said will afford abuse victims the opportunity to recount their suffering to Pope Francis, will be private.

Survivors will then be able to decide whether or not they want to speak to the media about the encounter, although many are expected to remain anonymous.

The Vatican sees the Pope’s meeting with the victims as a key opportunity to hear their experiences first-hand and to assure them the Church is determined to continue to act decisively on the issue.

It is expected survivors will also impress upon the Pontiff the importance of punishing bishops and religious superiors who fail to act to protect children or who refuse to implement the Church’s robust child safeguarding standards.

Former Pope Benedict XVI held six

meetings with abuse victims over the course of his papacy, including in the US, Australia, Malta and Britain.