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WORLD NEWS Thursday 21 February 2019

Abuse survivors demand Vatican transparency, accountability

By NICOLE WINFIELD tended Wednesday’s
Associated Press meeting, demanded to
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Sur- know why the Vatican
vivors of clergy sex abuse wasn’t implementing zero-
on Wednesday demanded tolerance policies on sex
transparency, zero toler- abuse across the board.
ance for abuse and ac- The U.S. bishops’ confer-
countability for religious ence is considered a model
superiors who cover up for for requiring any priest who
rapists, setting a confron- is found guilty of molesting
tational tone on the eve of a child to be removed per-
Pope Francis’ high-stakes manently from ministry.
abuse prevention summit. “What is the holdup in
The victims also demanded implementing zero toler-
to meet with Francis him- ance?” Buchanan said.
self, but had to settle in- “It is like, ‘Oh, we already
stead for a two-hour round- have the laws, we just need
table with members of the to implement the laws.’
organizing committee for Obviously, the laws are not
the four-day summit, which working because children
starts Thursday. are being raped right now.”
The gathering of church Francois Devaux, from the
leaders from around the French victims’ group La
globe is taking place amid Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) President Tim Lennon from Tucson, Ariz. and Parole Libérée, — The Liber-
intense scrutiny of the SNAP members Esther Hatfield Miller from Los Angeles and Carol Midboe from Austin, pose for ated Word — said the survi-
Catholic Church’s record pictures during interviews with the media in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican during Pope Francis’ vors made similar points to
after new allegations of general audience, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. the committee members,
abuse and cover-up last Associated Press and asked what exactly
year sparked a credibility Latin America, Africa and ship along with him. pope himself has called for the summit was expected
crisis for the hierarchy. Asia either deny clergy sex Some 190 leaders of bish- expectations to be “deflat- to accomplish.
Phil Saviano, an American abuse exists in their regions ops’ conferences, religious ed.” But organizers say the Francis did, however, meet
who played a crucial role or downplay the problem. orders and Vatican offices meeting marks a turning with a victim on Wednes-
in exposing clergy abuse in Francis, the first Latin Ameri- are gathering for four days point in the way the Cath- day, apparently on the
the United States decades can pope, has made many of lectures and workshops olic Church has dealt with sidelines of his general audi-
ago, said he told the sum- of the same mistakes. As on preventing sex abuse in the problem, with Francis’ ence. A video of the meet-
mit organizers to release archbishop in Buenos Ai- their churches, tending to own acknowledgment of ing showed Francis holding
the names of abusive res, he went out of his way victims and investigating his mistakes in handling the and then kissing the hand
priests around the world to defend a famous street the crimes when they oc- Chile abuse case a key of Polish survivor, Marek Li-
along with their case files. priest who was later con- cur. point of departure. sinski, who heads Poland’s
“Do it to launch a new era victed of abuse. He also “I think that the time for “I have been impressed Have No Fear foundation.
of transparency,” Saviano took a handful of measures words is long, long past,” by the humility of the Holy Lisinski went to the Vatican
said he told the committee. early on in his papacy that said Archbishop Mark Bene- Father,” said Maltese Arch- with a delegation headed
“Do it to break the code of undermined progress the dict Coleridge, of Brisbane, bishop Charles Scicluna, by Polish lawmaker Joanna
silence. Do it out of respect Vatican had made in tak- Australia, who will deliver the Vatican sex crimes in- Scheuring-Wielgus, who
for the victims of these men, ing a hard line against rap- the homily at the summit’s vestigator who helped set gave Francis a report on
and do it to help prevent ists. final Mass on Sunday. Francis straight on Chile. hundreds of alleged cases
these creeps from abusing He finally did an about- “We are dealing with a “He’s ready to say, ‘I got of abuse and cover-up in
any more children.” face after botching a well- global emergency, and I that wrong. We’re not go- Poland. In a statement after
More than 30 years after known sex abuse cover- don’t think the language ing to do it again. We’re Wednesday’s meeting with
the scandal first erupted up case in Chile last year. is too strong,” he said. “A going to do it right.’” the survivors ended, the
in Ireland and Australia Realizing he had erred, he global emergency that re- “I think that gives us great summit organizers thanked
and 20 years after it hit the has vowed to chart a new quires a global response.” hope,” Scicluna said. the victims for “sincerity,
U.S., bishops and superiors course and is bringing the The Vatican isn’t expect- But Jamaican survivor De- the depth and the strength
in many parts of Europe, rest of the church leader- ing any miracles, and the nise Buchanan, who at- of their testimonies.”q