Vatican commission is serious about addressing clerical abuse, says Irish victim
June 05, 2014
The newly formed Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors is “a serious attempt to deal with the issue globally rather than the Church dealing with the issue country by country,” Marie Collins, an Irish abuse victim who serves on the commission, said after its first meeting.
“The fact that we are responsible directly to (Pope Francis) is indicative of the fact that he’s taking the issue seriously, and he’s determined for this to be handled worldwide,” she told Our Sunday Visitor. “The need for accountability is understood on the commission, but this isn’t the case everywhere.”
“I think a lot of Church people, particularly in countries where we have had the issue dealt with over many years, think that the issue is over and done with and we can move on without accepting the accountability issue,” she added. “At the level of the commission, accountability is seen as the core issue; you have to look at that as being one of the main failings of the past.”
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Further information:
- Abuse survivor Collins ready to help lead reform (Our Sunday Visitor)
- New pontifical abuse commission: ‘accountability in the Church’ is ‘especially important’ (CWN, 5/5)
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