March 11, 2014
It appears that Pope Francis is angry. He seems to be frustrated with the UN Committee’s investigation and inquiry into the Catholic Church’s history with regard to child sexual abuse and related coverups.
According to the Pope, “The Catholic Church is perhaps the only public institution that has acted with transparency and responsibility” on this issue. “No one else has done more. Yet the Church is the only one to have been attacked.”
The recent UN report arising out of this inquiry by the Committee on the Rights of the Child implored the Pope to immediately root out and remove priests who are known or suspected child abusers. The Committee received no response.
The leader of an Italian group representing victims of clergy based sexual abuse indicated that there have been few real changes under Pope Francis with regard to the Church’s response to sexual abuse. In fact, he indicates that sexual abuse by priests continues in Italy.
After all I have read and heard about Pope Francis and his widespread reputation as a humanitarian and all I have learned about the Church’s record on child sexual abuse, I, for one, am deeply disappointed.