For the Catholic Church, there is a “line in the sand,” which can never be crossed, and that is to not allow anyone who harms or would harm a child to exercise public ministry, said Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston.
Harming a child must be ‘line in the sand’ for removal, cardinal says
Cardinal Cupich asks for new structure to ensure bishops’ accountability
The Catholic Church needs “new legal structures of accountability” for bishops accused of sexual abuse or of negligence in handling abuse allegations, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago told the Vatican summit on safeguarding.
Cardinal: Can the church step up, lead way in protecting children?
Only together, by humbly sharing their experiences, encouragement and corrective advice, can the bishops and leaders in the Catholic Church work to prevent the abuse of minors and help bring healing to survivors, said the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
Vatican summit opens with acknowledgment of evil committed
Opening the Vatican summit on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis, Pope Francis said, “The holy people of God are watching and are awaiting from us not simple, predictable condemnations, but concrete and effective measures” to stop abuse.
Survivors Speak: What Vatican summit must do to stop abuse
Abuse survivors and support groups were very clear about what they want the world’s bishops, religious superiors, the pope and the Vatican to do to protect children and end clerical sexual abuse.
Religious superiors admit denial, slowness to act against abuse
Twisted ideas of power and authority in the Catholic Church have contributed to the clerical sexual abuse crisis, leaders of religious orders said, but sometimes the positive “sense of family” in their own communities also made them slow to act.
Vatican summit: Silence, denial are unacceptable, archbishop says
Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, who handles abuse cases as adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was part of a panel of speakers at a news conference Feb. 18 to outline the Vatican’s plans and hopes for the summit meeting on the protection of minors in the church.
No nation is free of organ trafficking, say speakers at Vatican summit
Speakers at a Vatican summit encouraged nations to create, tighten or implement legal and ethical best practices for organ donation, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences brought together government ministers, judges, law enforcement personnel, medical professionals, human rights activists and journalists Feb. 7-8.