UN denounces Vatican over child abuse and demands immediate action

[theHandpuppet]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/05/un-denounces-vatican-child-abuse

The Guardian
Feb 5, 2104

UN denounces Vatican over child abuse and demands immediate action
Devastating UN report demands Vatican 'immediately remove' all clergy who are known or suspected child abusers

A UN human rights committee has denounced the Vatican for adopting policies that allowed priests to rape and molest tens of thousands of children, and urged it to open its files on the paedophiles and the churchmen who concealed their crimes.

In a devastating report on Wednesday, the UN committee also severely criticised the Holy See for its attitudes toward homosexuality, contraception and abortion and demanded that the Vatican "immediately remove" all clergy who are known or suspected child abusers and turn them over to civil authorities.

The committed said the Holy See should also hand over its archives on sexual abuse of tens of thousands of children so that culprits, as well as "those who concealed their crimes", could be held accountable.

The watchdog's exceptionally blunt paper – the most far-reaching critique of the church hierarchy by the world body – followed its public grilling of Vatican officials last month....

[SidDithers]

1. DU rec...

Expect another photo montage in response.

Sid

[el_bryanto]

2. I would hope this would get a serious response from Pope Francis and the Vatican

But I guess i'm not that hopeful. We'll see.

Bryant

[theHandpuppet]

3. Here's a copy of the actual UN committee report

http://documents.latimes.com/un-human-rights-committee-report-vatican-policies-toward-sex-abuse/

[theHandpuppet]

4. The relationship between the UN and the Holy See

Just in case anyone was wondering why the UN would be involved in these matters.

Permanent observer since 1964

Since April 6, 1964, the Holy See has been a permanent observer state at the United Nations. In that capacity, the Holy See has since had a standing invitation to attend all the sessions of the General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, and the United Nations Economic and Social Council to observe their work, and to maintain a permanent observer mission at the UN headquarters in New York.[1] Accordingly, the Holy See has established a Permanent Observer Mission in New York and has sent representatives to all open meetings of the General Assembly and of its Main Committees.

As a matter of diplomatic courtesy, since 1964, the Holy See was also allowed to make formal policy statements in the General Assembly, both during the General Debates and during the discussion of the various separate issues contained in the agenda of the General Assembly.[4] Notably, Popes Paul VI,[5] John Paul II,[6] and Benedict XVI[7] were invited to address the General Assembly.

In addition, the Holy See was invited to observe all open meetings of the intergovernmental subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly. The Holy See was frequently allowed to participate in the private negotiations leading to the adoption of the General Assembly's decisions and resolutions. The Holy See was not allowed, however, to co-sponsor draft decisions or resolutions, to make points of order or to exercise the right of reply. If the Holy See wished to circulate written proposals or position papers, it required the assistance of a member state that was willing to present those proposals or papers as its own.

The Holy See took advantage the prerogatives of its observer status to incorporate its interpretation of Christian values within the decisions and recommendations of the United Nations. Notable was a successful effort, in cooperation with like-minded countries, to ensure the adoption of a United Nations Declaration banning all forms of Human Cloning,[8] and it opposed the adoption of a resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity proposed by the European Union in the General Assembly; a similar UNHRC-specific resolution on LGBT rights proposed by the Republic of South Africa was successfully passed in the United Nations Human Rights Council.[9]

(excerpt from Wikipedia)

[theHandpuppet]

5. Press release from the Holy See in response to the UN

Unfortunately, I had to snip this press release because it was slightly too long to post in it entirety according to DU rules.
I must also preface this by explaining a couple of phrases found here that are "codes" found throughout many speeches, press releases and documents from the Vatican, Holy See. et al, to wit:
"Catholic Church teaching on the dignity of the human person" = opposition to contraception and abortion
"exercise of religious freedom" = the right to discriminate against LGBT persons on the claim of religious liberty; has also been used with regard to contraception mandates and abortion.

http://www.vis.va/vissolr/index.php?vi=all&dl=98b73089-8449-c69d-602d-52f23e7a76ea&dl_t=text/xml&dl_a=y&ul=1&ev=1
Vatican Information Service
5/2/2014
PRESS RELEASE ON OBSERVATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Vatican City, 5 February 2014 (VIS) – This morning the Holy See Press Office issued a communique on the observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, the full text of which is published below:
<snipping>

According to the proper procedures foreseen for the parties to the Convention, the Holy See takes note of the Concluding Observations on its Reports, which will be submitted to a thorough study and examination, in full respect of the Convention in the different areas presented by the Committee according to international law and practice, as well as taking into consideration the public interactive debate with the Committee, held on 16 January 2014.

The Holy See does, however, regret to see in some points of the Concluding Observations an attempt to interfere with Catholic Church teaching on the dignity of the human person and in the exercise of religious freedom....

The Holy See reiterates its commitment to defending and protecting the rights of the child, in line with the principles promoted by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and according to the moral and religious values offered by Catholic doctrine”.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Kicking