VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter
December 13, 2017
By Joshua J. McElwee
VATICAN CITY — The member of Pope Francis’ commission on clergy sexual abuse who was suspended nearly two years ago after publicly critiquing the pope says he will now resign his post in advance of the expiration of his term of office Dec. 17.
Englishman Peter Saunders told NCR Dec. 13 he is planning to send a formal letter of resignation Dec. 15 to Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
“It’s just a kind of closure for me that I feel I’ve done my best for the church and the institutional church has kind of rejected me,” Saunders said in a brief interview. “And so I will resign.”
Saunders, a sexual abuse survivor who founded the UK’s National Association for People Abused in Childhood, was placed on leave from the papal commission in February 2016. His expected resignation was first reported by The Tablet.
While the commission did not elaborate on the reasons for Saunders’ 2016 suspension, the survivor had been publicly critical of Francis’ record on clergy abuse. He particularly criticized Francis’ appointment of Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who has been accused of covering up abuse by Fr. Fernando Karadima.
The Vatican office for the papal commission declined to comment on Saunders’ decision to resign. While Saunders will be the second of the two abuse survivors originally appointed to the commission to resign, his expected resignation comes days before his term’s expiration.
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