VATICAN CITY
The Daily Beast
By Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 5th 2013
For victims who silently suffered child abuse at the hands of priests, nothing the Vatican does will ever be quite enough. But a new commission ordered by Pope Francis could be a solid step in the right direction.
On Thursday, Pope Francis agreed to appoint a special ad-hoc “commission for the protection of minors” to address alleged and proven sex abuse by Catholic priests. The commission was suggested by a council of eight cardinals, tasked with advising the pope on church reform, who are meeting in Rome this week.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston—a city that was once the epicenter of the sex-abuse coverup scandal—briefed reporters after the council met with the pope. “Specifically, the commission will study present programs in place for the protection of children; formulate suggestions for new initiatives on the part of the Curia, in collaboration with bishops, bishops, Episcopal conferences, religious superiors and conferences of religious superiors; and indicate the names of persons suited to the systematic implementation of these new initiatives, including laypersons, religious and priests with responsibilities for the safety of children, in relations with the victims, in mental health, in the application of the law, and so forth.”
Taken at face value, that would imply that the pope wants to hear from not just those inside the church hierarchy, but perhaps he would also call in advisors from outside the church to help deal with the problem. O’Malley said that the commission could be made of up priests, men and women religious, including nuns, and laypeople. Roping in secular entities, including law enforcement officials, has always topped the wishlist of victims groups, who feel that clerical child abuse is often “dealt with” in secret out of the long arm of the law. No other entity that deals with minors, including education systems, groups like Boy Scouts, or sports organizations, have the same umbrella protection that the Catholic church provides its clergy when it comes to child sex abuse.
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