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A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 21 augusT 2018

Pope: No effort spared to fight abuse, but offers no details

By NICOLE WINFIELD pastors address the crisis.
Associated Press “I think this is a crisis and I
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope don’t think many church
Francis vowed Monday leaders appreciate that,”
that “no effort must be she said.
spared” to root out priestly Francis appears to hear
sex abuse and cover-up that call, but it’s unclear if it
from the Catholic Church, will be enough.
but gave no indication that Several years ago, he
he would take action to scrapped a proposed Vati-
sanction complicit bishops can tribunal to prosecute
or end the Vatican culture negligent bishops, relying
of secrecy that has allowed instead on current Vatican
the crisis to fester. procedures. While he has
In a letter to Catholics taken some bishops to task,
worldwide following damn- he has refused to act on
ing new revelations of mis- credible reports of bishops
conduct in the U.S., Francis failing to report abusers to
sought to project a get- police or otherwise botch-
tough response to the per- ing the handling of cases.
petrators and a compas- Francis also has kept on his
sionate shoulder for victims nine-member cabinet a
ahead of a fraught trip to Chilean cardinal long ac-
Ireland this weekend. In this Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018 file photo, Pope Francis prays for the victims of the Kerala floods cused of covering up for
Francis begged forgiveness during the Angelus noon prayer in St.Peter’s Square, at the Vatican. pedophiles, an Australian
for the pain suffered by vic- Associated Press cardinal currently on trial
tims and said lay Catholics fails to acknowledge the their superiors covered it dience. In it, Francis ac- on sex-abuse charges and
must be included in the ef- Vatican’s own role in turn- up. knowledged that no effort a Honduran cardinal impli-
fort to root out abuse and ing a blind eye to preda- But the issue has taken on to beg forgiveness of the cated in a gay priest sex
cover-up. He blasted the tory priests and fomenting new gravity following rev- victims would be sufficient scandal involving his trust-
clerical culture that has a culture of secrecy that elations in the U.S. that one but vowed “never again.” ed deputy.
been blamed for the crisis, has allowed crimes to go of Francis’ trusted cardi- Looking to the future, he As a result, advocates
with church leaders more unpunished for decades. nals, the retired archbishop said: “No effort must be for victims found his let-
concerned about their “That culture was over- of Washington, Theodore spared to create a culture ter wanting. What Francis
own reputations than the seen by #Vatican & codi- McCarrick, allegedly sexu- able to prevent such situa- should do to protect chil-
safety of children. fied into its laws,” tweeted ally abused and harassed tions from happening, but dren, she said, is to order
“We showed no care for Colm O’Gorman, a promi- minors as well as adult sem- also to prevent the possibil- the Vatican to release the
the little ones,” Francis nent Irish abuse victim who inarians. ity of their being covered names of all priests who
wrote. “We abandoned is organizing a solidarity In addition, a grand jury up and perpetuated.” have been convicted un-
them.” demonstration of survivors report in Pennsylvania last He demanded an end to der canon law of abusing
But Francis alone can sanc- in Dublin during Francis’ week revealed that at “clericalism” — the culture minors.
tion bishops and he of- visit. “He needs to name & least 1,000 children were that places priests on a Unlike the U.S. bishops’ con-
fered no hint that he would own that.” abused by some 300 priests pedestal. He said lay Cath- ference, which has referred
change the Vatican’s long- Marie Collins, another over the past 70 years, and olics must help end that only to “sins and omissions”
standing practice of giving prominent Irish survivor who that generations of bishops culture, since rank-and- in their response to the
religious superiors a pass resigned in frustration from failed to take measures to file Catholics are often the Pennsylvania report, Fran-
when they botch abuse the pope’s sex-abuse advi- protect their flock or punish ones who most fervently cis labeled the misconduct
cases or are negligent in sory commission, said state- the rapists. hold up their priests as be- “crimes.”
protecting their flocks. ments about how terrible “Priests were raping little yond reproach. Vatican spokesman Greg
He said he was aware of abuse is and how bishops boys and girls, and the men That emphasis — on both Burke said it was “signifi-
the “effort and work being must be held accountable of God who were respon- the role of the laity and cant” that Francis used
carried out in various parts are meaningless. sible for them not only did clericalism — is new for a that term and called for
of the world” to ensure chil- “Tell us instead what you nothing; they hid it all,” the pope in addressing the accountability, “which in
dren are protected and are doing to hold them ac- grand jury report said. abuse scandal and seems many cases means bish-
hold accountable those countable,” she tweeted. The letter from Latin Amer- a direct response to the ops.”
who commit abuse and “That is what we want to ica’s first pope also comes Pennsylvania findings, said “This is a wake-up call for
cover it up. hear. ‘Working on it’ is not on the heels of a spiraling Kathleen Sprows Cum- everyone,” Burke told The
But he made no reference an acceptable explana- sex-abuse scandal in Chile, mings, associate professor Associated Press.
to what the Vatican plans tion for decades of ‘de- where law enforcement of American studies and Pennsylvania Attorney
to do, saying only: “We lay.’” has staged multiple raids history at the University of General Josh Shapiro
have delayed in applying Priestly sex abuse was al- on church archives to try to Notre Dame. praised the pope’s letter
these actions and sanc- ways expected to domi- determine what was known “That’s what people are and urged local church offi-
tions that are so necessary, nate the pope’s trip to and kept hidden about pe- feeling. That’s the rage,” cials to “cease their denials
yet I am confident that Ireland, a once staunchly dophile priests. she said, adding that she and deflections” and ac-
they will help to guarantee Roman Catholic country The three-page letter, is- had acquaintances who cept the grand jury recom-
a greater culture of care in where the church’s cred- sued in seven languages, were withholding dona- mendations, which include
the present and future.” ibility has been devastated referred to the Pennsyl- tions to their parishes, re- allowing victims to sue the
The letter was viewed by by years of revelations that vania report but stressed fusing to address priests as church for abuse that oth-
abuse survivors as little more priests raped and molested that its message was to a “Father” and demanding erwise would fall outside
than recycled rhetoric that children with impunity and much broader global au- at Sunday Mass that their the statute of limitations.q