Pope Francis is to set up a Vatican committee to fight sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church and offer help to victims.
In North American football terms, this could be what they call and "end-around". That's when you clog up the middle of the field then try to run around the end of the line.
The announcement, by the archbishop of Boston, follows a meeting between the Pope and his eight cardinal advisers.
It comes days after the Vatican refused a UN request for information on alleged abuse by priests, nuns or monks.
One of the main Italian associations of clerical abuse survivors has said it has "little trust" in the Vatican.
Pope Francis has said dealing with sex abuse is vital for the Church's credibility.
Earlier this week the Pope expressed his compassion for the many victims of sex abuse by priests around the world.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, said the proposed panel of experts could provide codes of conduct for clergymen, guidelines for Church officials and better checks for would-be priests.
Of course, these will simply deal with the surface level of the problem, the symptoms of the disease. Until they deal with the Bishops and Arch-Bishops, and possibly Cardinals, who enabled them for so many years; and until they deal with the "celibacy" absurdity, then the issue will never really be dealt with and will go on and on and on.
Germany - A priest, named only as Andreas L, admitted in 2012 to 280 counts of sexual abuse involving three boys over a decade
United States - Revelations about abuses in the 1990s by two Boston priests, Paul Shanley and John Geoghan, caused public outrage
Belgium - The bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned in April 2010 after admitting that he had sexually abused a boy for years
Italy - The Catholic Church in Italy admitted in 2010 that about 100 cases of paedophile priests had been reported over 10 years - that's just in Italy!
Ireland - A report in 2009 found that sexual and psychological abuse was "endemic" in Catholic-run industrial schools and orphanages for most of the 20th century
See: http://northwoodssaveachild.blogspot.ca/2013/05/unreal.html for info on Canada's horrific Residential School System - mainly but not exclusively run by Catholics. Also, you can Google Mount Cashel for another horror story.
Unfortunately, these stories are just the tip of the iceberg.
"Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that," he said.
"We feel that having the advantage of a commission of experts who will be able to study these issues and bring concrete recommendations for the Holy Father and the Holy See will be very important."
He added that the move was in line with the approach of the former Pope, Benedict XVI, who referred to the "filth" in the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict was, however, accused of failing to do enough to address the problem.
The Commission will keep the Pope informed about programmes in place for the protection of children, will formulate suggestions for new initiatives, the Vatican said in a statement.
The archdiocese of Boston was the centre of a child sexual abuse scandal involving Catholic priests in the US in 2002. It ultimately led to the resignation of the archbishop at the time.
The Catholic Church has faced a raft of allegations of child sex abuse by priests around the world and criticism over inadequate responses by bishops.
Earlier this year the Pope strengthened Vatican laws on child abuse, broadening the definition of crimes against minors to include sexual abuse of children. What? The sexual abuse of children was not a crime in the Catholic Church until this year. That explains a lot!
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child put a wide-ranging questionnaire to the Holy See - the city state's diplomatic entity - last July, asking for detailed information about the particulars of all sexual abuse cases notified to the Vatican since 1995.
The Vatican refused, saying the cases were the responsibility of the judicial systems of countries where abuse took place.
See also: http://northwoodssaveachild.blogspot.ca/2013/12/vatican-circling-wagons-for-un-sex.html
Vatican officials are due to be questioned about child abuse, among other issues, by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in January.
Their responses to the UN Committee will reveal whether their priority is to get right with the abused children, and, hence, God, or their primary concern is still the image of the church.
"The King will answer and say to them, `Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matt 25:40
In North American football terms, this could be what they call and "end-around". That's when you clog up the middle of the field then try to run around the end of the line.
The announcement, by the archbishop of Boston, follows a meeting between the Pope and his eight cardinal advisers.
It comes days after the Vatican refused a UN request for information on alleged abuse by priests, nuns or monks.
One of the main Italian associations of clerical abuse survivors has said it has "little trust" in the Vatican.
Pope Francis has said dealing with sex abuse is vital for the Church's credibility.
Earlier this week the Pope expressed his compassion for the many victims of sex abuse by priests around the world.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, said the proposed panel of experts could provide codes of conduct for clergymen, guidelines for Church officials and better checks for would-be priests.
Of course, these will simply deal with the surface level of the problem, the symptoms of the disease. Until they deal with the Bishops and Arch-Bishops, and possibly Cardinals, who enabled them for so many years; and until they deal with the "celibacy" absurdity, then the issue will never really be dealt with and will go on and on and on.
Germany - A priest, named only as Andreas L, admitted in 2012 to 280 counts of sexual abuse involving three boys over a decade
United States - Revelations about abuses in the 1990s by two Boston priests, Paul Shanley and John Geoghan, caused public outrage
Belgium - The bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned in April 2010 after admitting that he had sexually abused a boy for years
Italy - The Catholic Church in Italy admitted in 2010 that about 100 cases of paedophile priests had been reported over 10 years - that's just in Italy!
Ireland - A report in 2009 found that sexual and psychological abuse was "endemic" in Catholic-run industrial schools and orphanages for most of the 20th century
See: http://northwoodssaveachild.blogspot.ca/2013/05/unreal.html for info on Canada's horrific Residential School System - mainly but not exclusively run by Catholics. Also, you can Google Mount Cashel for another horror story.
Unfortunately, these stories are just the tip of the iceberg.
"Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that," he said.
"We feel that having the advantage of a commission of experts who will be able to study these issues and bring concrete recommendations for the Holy Father and the Holy See will be very important."
He added that the move was in line with the approach of the former Pope, Benedict XVI, who referred to the "filth" in the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict was, however, accused of failing to do enough to address the problem.
The Commission will keep the Pope informed about programmes in place for the protection of children, will formulate suggestions for new initiatives, the Vatican said in a statement.
The archdiocese of Boston was the centre of a child sexual abuse scandal involving Catholic priests in the US in 2002. It ultimately led to the resignation of the archbishop at the time.
The Catholic Church has faced a raft of allegations of child sex abuse by priests around the world and criticism over inadequate responses by bishops.
Earlier this year the Pope strengthened Vatican laws on child abuse, broadening the definition of crimes against minors to include sexual abuse of children. What? The sexual abuse of children was not a crime in the Catholic Church until this year. That explains a lot!
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child put a wide-ranging questionnaire to the Holy See - the city state's diplomatic entity - last July, asking for detailed information about the particulars of all sexual abuse cases notified to the Vatican since 1995.
The Vatican refused, saying the cases were the responsibility of the judicial systems of countries where abuse took place.
See also: http://northwoodssaveachild.blogspot.ca/2013/12/vatican-circling-wagons-for-un-sex.html
Vatican officials are due to be questioned about child abuse, among other issues, by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in January.
Their responses to the UN Committee will reveal whether their priority is to get right with the abused children, and, hence, God, or their primary concern is still the image of the church.
"The King will answer and say to them, `Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matt 25:40
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