Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 3 January 2017

Pope to bishops: Maintain ‘zero tolerance’ for child abuse

FRANCES D’EMILIO The pontiff himself has re-
Associated Press ceived mixed reviews on
VATICAN CITY (AP) — how the Vatican handles
Pope Francis has exhorted sex abuse.
Catholic bishops world- Francis has laid out pro-
wide to do what’s needed cedures to oust bishops
to ensure children are pro- for negligence, if they mis-
tected from sexual abuse handle investigations into
by clergy. alleged abuse.
The Vatican on Monday But he dismayed advo-
released the text of a Dec. cates for abuse survivors
28 letter Francis sent to by appointing a Chilean
bishops about injustices bishop accused of cover-
to children. They included ing up for a notorious pe-
slave labor, malnutrition, dophile.
lack of education and sex- The Vatican also took no
ual exploitation, including immediate action after
abuse by priests. deaf students from Ita-
In the letter, Francis de- ly, in a 2014 letter to the
cried “the sufferings, the pope, said a priest sexually
experiences and pain of abused them for years in
minors who were abused Italy and now was working
sexually by priests.” Pope Francis celebrates a new year’s Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 1, at a school in Francis’ na-
“It is a sin that shames us,” 2017. tive Argentina. The priest
the pope wrote. “Persons Associated Press was arrested last year and
responsible for the protec- charged with raping deaf
tion of those children de- needed to take all neces- of our children, so that “In this area, let us adhere, students at a school in
stroyed their dignity.” sary measures and to pro- such crimes may never be clearly and faithfully, to Argentina.q
The church’s reputation tect in every way the lives repeated,” the pope said. ‘zero tolerance.’”
has been stained in sev- Son of Equatorial Guinea’s president on trial in France
eral countries during the
last few decades as peo- eral planned trials of for- bandit,” he said. “He just
ple have come forward eign figures allegedly thriv- wants his rights observed.”
to report that parish priests ing on ill-gotten gains, was It was not immediately
or other Catholic clergy absent and his lawyers clear if the court would
raped or molested them sought a postponement to grant a delay.Representing
as minors. better prepare their case. Transparency International,
The allegations showed Obiang, who is also Equa- which helped bring the
that local bishops some- torial Guinea’s second vice case, lawyer William Bour-
times knew about and president, faces up to 10 don accused the defense
covered up child sex years in prison if found guilty of trying to paralyze the ju-
abuse involving problem of corruption, money laun- dicial system through a se-
priests and triggered multi- dering and embezzlement. ries of “opportunistic” and
million-dollar lawsuits, as Obiang’s lawyer, Emmanu- “malicious” maneuvers.
well as several criminal el Marsigny, argued that he Obiang’s trial came after
prosecutions. was not given a “reason- two non-governmental or-
Expressing the church’s able delay” to prepare a ganizations targeting cor-
regret, and begging for- In this Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 file picture, two Ferrari sports cars defense for his client’s ac- ruption and an associa-
giveness, the pope de- are being towed off the freight zone by the police at Geneva tions spanning 14 years and tion of Congolese citizens
nounced the “sin of what Airport, in Geneva, Switzerland. that the trial date notifica- living abroad launched a
happened, the sin of fail- Associated Press tion was sent to a Paris ad- lawsuit in France nearly 10
ing to help, the sin of cov- ELAINE GANLEY funds — much of it alleg- dress though his client lives years ago against leaders
ering up and denial, the sin Associated Press edly in cash — to feed an at the presidential palace in nearly a half-dozen Af-
of the abuse of power.” PARIS (AP) — After years opulent lifestyle of fast cars, in Malabo, the capital of rican countries, including
Francis also asked bishops of investigation, France designer clothes, works of Equatorial Guinea. the late Gabon president
for “complete commit- on Monday put the son of art and high-end real es- “It is not just an address he Omar Bongo, charging
ment to ensuring that these the president of Equatorial tate. declared. He lives there,” they used state funds dur-
atrocities will no longer Guinea on trial for corrup- But the defendant, Te- Marsigny told the court. ing or after their tenures to
take place in our midst.” tion, charged with spend- odoro Nguema Obiang “Believe me, Mr. Nguema buy properties and luxury
“Let us find the courage ing many millions in state Mangue, in the first of sev- (Obiang) is not a big-time goods in France. q