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Pope clarifies bishops' role in sex abuse cases
Source: CNN
Pope clarifies bishops' role in sex abuse cases
By Milena Veselinovic and Angela Dewan, CNN
Updated 1627 GMT (0027 HKT) June 4, 2016
(CNN)Pope Francis announced Saturday that bishops who fail to report cases of sex abuse of children and vulnerable adults could be removed from office.
The Catholic Church has been criticized for not holding bishops accountable for failing to act in cases of clerical sex abuse, and victims' families have been lobbying the Vatican to take a tougher stance on the issue.
In an apostolic letter published Saturday, the pope explained canon law already allows bishops to be removed "for serious reasons." But the Pope made clear that among those reasons is the failure of a bishop to report cases of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.
"As a loving mother, the Church loves all her children, but treats and protects with a very particular affection the smaller and helpless. This is a task that Christ entrusted to the entire Christian community as a whole. With this in mind, the Church is vigilant in protecting children and vulnerable adults," he wrote.
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By Milena Veselinovic and Angela Dewan, CNN
Updated 1627 GMT (0027 HKT) June 4, 2016
(CNN)Pope Francis announced Saturday that bishops who fail to report cases of sex abuse of children and vulnerable adults could be removed from office.
The Catholic Church has been criticized for not holding bishops accountable for failing to act in cases of clerical sex abuse, and victims' families have been lobbying the Vatican to take a tougher stance on the issue.
In an apostolic letter published Saturday, the pope explained canon law already allows bishops to be removed "for serious reasons." But the Pope made clear that among those reasons is the failure of a bishop to report cases of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.
"As a loving mother, the Church loves all her children, but treats and protects with a very particular affection the smaller and helpless. This is a task that Christ entrusted to the entire Christian community as a whole. With this in mind, the Church is vigilant in protecting children and vulnerable adults," he wrote.
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Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/04/world/vatican-pope-sex-abuse/
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Source: Associated Press
Pope Scraps Abuse Tribunal for Negligent Bishops
By NICOLE WINFIELD, ASSOCIATED PRESS VATICAN CITY — Jun 4, 2016, 11:50 AM ET
Pope Francis on Saturday scrapped his proposed tribunal to prosecute bishops who covered up for pedophile priests after it ran into opposition and instead clarified legal procedures to remove them if the Vatican finds they were negligent.
The new procedures sought to answer long-standing demands by survivors of abuse that the Vatican hold bishops accountable for botching abuse cases. Victims have long accused bishops of covering up for pedophiles, moving rapists from parish to parish rather than reporting them to police — and suffering no consequences.
But the new law was immediately criticized by survivors of abuse as essentially window dressing since there were already ways to investigate and dismiss bishops for wrongdoing — they were just rarely used against bishops who failed to protect their flocks from pedophiles.
Analysts suggested the new law was much ado about very little.
"There is nothing breaking here: The congregations could already do that," said Kurt Martens, professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America.
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By NICOLE WINFIELD, ASSOCIATED PRESS VATICAN CITY — Jun 4, 2016, 11:50 AM ET
Pope Francis on Saturday scrapped his proposed tribunal to prosecute bishops who covered up for pedophile priests after it ran into opposition and instead clarified legal procedures to remove them if the Vatican finds they were negligent.
The new procedures sought to answer long-standing demands by survivors of abuse that the Vatican hold bishops accountable for botching abuse cases. Victims have long accused bishops of covering up for pedophiles, moving rapists from parish to parish rather than reporting them to police — and suffering no consequences.
But the new law was immediately criticized by survivors of abuse as essentially window dressing since there were already ways to investigate and dismiss bishops for wrongdoing — they were just rarely used against bishops who failed to protect their flocks from pedophiles.
Analysts suggested the new law was much ado about very little.
"There is nothing breaking here: The congregations could already do that," said Kurt Martens, professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America.
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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/pope-oks-procedures-remove-bishops-botch-abuse-cases-39606768