AUSTRALIA
ABC News
By Samantha Donovan
Pope Francis’ recent decision to reduce sanctions for convicted paedophile priests is a worrying sign, the CEO of the Catholic Church’s Australian Truth Justice and Healing Council says.
“It’s not a good indication of a strong zero-tolerance approach,” Francis Sullivan said.
Pope Francis became leader of the world’s Catholics just as Australia’s royal commission into child sexual abuse was getting underway.
His initial promise to tackle clerical sexual abuse was a promising sign to Catholics like Mr Sullivan.
But in a recent case, the Pope overruled the advice of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to defrock an Italian priest, Mauro Inzoli.
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