VATICAN CITY
Los Angeles Times
Alexandra Zavis
In a stinging indictment of Vatican efforts to address sexual abuse by priests, an Irishwoman who was abused as a child resigned Wednesday from a panel that is advising Pope Francis on how to respond to the scandal that has tarnished the Roman Catholic Church for decades.
Marie Collins said she quit the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors because she was frustrated by a lack of cooperation with the panel by some members of the Roman Curia, or Vatican administration.
“As a survivor I have watched events unfold with dismay,” she said in a statement to the National Catholic Reporter. “The reluctance of some in the Vatican Curia to implement recommendations or cooperate with the work of a commission when the purpose is to improve the safety of children and vulnerable adults around the world is unacceptable.”
The commission said that the pope had accepted Collins’ resignation “with deep appreciation for her work on behalf of the victims/survivors of clergy abuse.” It also noted in a statement that she had accepted an invitation from the head of the panel, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, to work with it in an educational capacity.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.