Vatican spokesman defends papal record on sexual abuse, chides non-Catholic institutions
October 01, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: Recalling the Pope’s words on abuse in Belgium and his two-hour meeting with abuse victims there, a leading Vatican spokesman deplored the sexual abuse of minors while praising the Church’s record in addressing abuse when compared to other institutions.
The abuse scandal was in the spotlight during the Pope’s visit to the nation.
“The Pope cited statistics showing that the majority of abuses occur within families, at schools, and in the world of sports,” said Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication. “With unprecedented clarity, he aimed to eliminate any alibi for the misuse of those numbers by those who would seek to defend themselves by highlighting others’ responsibilities and minimizing the issue.”
Tornielli also defended the steps taken by Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to address sexual abuse:
It is true that the Church has undertaken, in the last quarter century, a path that has led to very strict emergency laws against abuse. It is true that others have not taken the same steps. However, it is equally true that abuse within the Church is something horrible, which always begins with an abuse of power and manipulation of the conscience of those who are defenseless...The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
The Successor of Peter, following in the footsteps of his two predecessors, has thus promulgated very strict new laws to stop abuse, and has stated that even a single case of abuse against minors within the Church would be one too many. He indicated to the entire Church that the most appropriate attitude is one of shame, humiliation, and the request for forgiveness. It is the same penitential attitude that Pope Benedict XVI proposed—though he was misunderstood—when he affirmed that the greatest enemy for the Church is not external but the sin within it.
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