ROME (ITALY)
Associated Press
February 19, 2019
By Nicole Winfield
Pope Francis is hosting a four-day summit on preventing clergy sexual abuse, a high-stakes meeting designed to impress on Catholic bishops around the world that the problem is global and that there are consequences if they cover it up.
The meeting opening Thursday comes at a critical time for the church and Francis’ papacy, following the explosion of the scandal in Chile last year and renewed outrage in the United States over decades of cover-up that were exposed by the Pennsylvania grand jury report.
Here is a look at what’s in store for the summit.
WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?
The meeting is divided into three thematic days, with the final day — Sunday — devoted to Mass and a concluding address from the pope.
Day 1 explores bishops’ responsibilities to their flocks, including their legal responsibility to investigate and prevent abuse.
Day 2 is dedicated to accountability and is focused on church leaders working together, along with rank-and-file Catholics, to protect children.
Day 3 focuses on transparency, and features remarks from a Nigerian religious sister, a German cardinal and a Mexican journalist.
Testimony from survivors is interspersed throughout during moments of prayer, but there are no sessions dedicated to hearing their stories. Participants were told to meet with victims before coming to Rome to learn first-hand of their pain — and to drive home the idea that clergy sex abuse isn’t confined to certain parts of the world.
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