Mcaleese Hits out at Pope over Smacking of Children
By Sarah Macdonald
Former Irish President Mary McAleese has questioned Pope Francis's comments on smacking children, warning it could signal a turning back of the clock in the church's attitude to corporal punishment and children's rights. The former Ardoyne resident who was a professor of law at Trinity is currently completing a doctorate in canon law. She highlights that the Vatican is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It advocates the universal abolition of corporal punishment of children in all circumstances. The mother-of-three refers to an exchange last year between the Holy See and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child which claimed corporal punishment "remains widespread in some Catholic institutions" and "reached endemic levels" in Ireland as revealed by the Ryan Report. The UN Committee highlighted that the Vatican has not enacted guidelines banning corporal punishment of children in Catholic schools, as well as in the home. Earlier this week, the Pope surprised many observers by recalling a conversation he had with a father who told him that he sometimes hit his children. "One time, I heard a father say, 'At times, I have to hit my children a bit, but never in the face so as not to humiliate them'," the Pope told a congregation of thousands in St Peter's Square. "That's great. He had a sense of dignity. He should punish, do the right thing, and then move on." In response, Mrs McAleese asked in a letter: "What faith are we to have now in the Holy See's commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child?" She asks whether the Vatican has decided to "oppose the stated view of the committee that the corporal punishment of children should be banned". advertisement Mrs McAleese is known for her faith but is unafraid to challenge the Vatican and has spoken out before.
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