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Vatican tribunal to hear cases of bishops accused of covering up child abuse Vatican tribunal to hear cases of bishops accused of covering up child abuse
(about 4 hours later)
Pope Francis has created a new Vatican tribunal section to hear cases of bishops accused of failing to protect children from sexually abusive priests, the biggest step the Holy See has taken yet to hold bishops accountable. Pope Francis has established a tribunal to investigate bishops accused of failing to protect children and vulnerable adults from sex abuse, in a move seen as the most forceful act by the pontiff to date to tackle the church’s legacy of abuse and cover-ups.
For years the Vatican has been criticised by victims, advocacy groups and others for having failed to ever punish or forcibly remove a bishop who covered up for clergy who raped or molested children. In April, Francis accepted the resignation of a US bishop who had been convicted of failing to report a suspected child abuser, but that wasn’t a forced removal. The Catholic church has long been accused of turning a blind eye to the sexual abuse of children by clergy, with countless accusations over the years that church officials knowingly covered up abuse instead of confronting priests. But the tribunal, which was approved by the Pope following a recommendation by a committee created to find ways to tackle abuse, represents an attempt by the Vatican to create a structure to formally address the problem.
The Vatican said on Wednesday that Francis had approved proposals made by his sexual abuse advisory board. They create a mechanism by which the Vatican can receive and examine complaints of abuse of office by bishops and adjudicate on them. Child abuse has long been seen as the greatest threat to the church’s reputation among Catholics and those outside the church. Abuse was illegal under church rules, but there has never been a clear system to deal with accusations that bishops have sought to hide sexual abuse by subordinates. Bishops would be able to appeal tribunal decisions, the Vatican said. While the pope would have the final say in cases where a bishop was accused of wrongdoing, the Vatican said the pope was likely to respect decisions reached by the tribunal.
A special judicial section will be created inside the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith “to judge bishops with regard to crimes of the abuse of office when connected to the abuse of minors”, a Vatican statement said. The news was announced as the Argentinean pontiff – who has previously warned clergy not to cover up sex abuse – faces pressure over allegations against the Australian cardinal George Pell, the third-highest ranking official in the Vatican. Old allegations against Pell, including one that he sought to bribe an abuse victim in return for his silence, have resurfaced as part of a royal commission investigation into sex abuse in Australia. Pell has vehemently denied all allegations and said the bribe accusation was the result of a misunderstanding with the victim.
The Congregation currently reviews all cases of priests who abuse minors. But the controversy has prompted a lay member of the abuse committee, a British abuse survivor named Peter Saunders, to call for Pell to be ejected from the church. Pell has sought legal advice in a war of words with Saunders after the abuse victim claimed that Pell had been “almost sociopathic” in his display of indifference towards other victims.
The Vatican said Cardinal Sean O’Malley, head of the pope’s sex abuse advisory commission, presented the proposals to Francis’s cardinal advisers, who have been meeting this week. The panel approved the measures, as did Francis, who authorised funding for full-time personnel to staff the new office, the Vatican said. On Wednesday, the Vatican agreed to five proposals put forward by the abuse committee: a duty to report “all complaints” of episcopal abuse to an appropriate congregation; the mandate that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith judges bishops with regard to “crimes of abuse”; the establishment of a judicial section that will be available to the prefect for penal processes regarding the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults by clergy; the appointment of a secretary to assist the tribunal; andfive years to develop all of the proposals and complete an evaluation of their effectiveness.
A Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, said this meant there was now a specific process by which the Vatican can deal with bishops who are negligent in handling cases of abuse in their territories. The Vatican said the council of cardinals had unanimously agreed to the proposals before they were approved by the pope, who had approved “sufficient resources” to implement the proposals. The abuse council is headed by Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, one of the areas in the US that was historically hard hit by abuse and where such episodes have been well documented.
Canon law already provides sanctions for bishops who are negligent in their duties, but the Vatican has never been known to have meted out punishment for a bishop who covered up for an abuser. Marie Collins, an abuse survivor who sits on the papal abuse commission, expressed her pleasure with the approval of the “proposal on accountability” on Twitter.
Very pleased the Pope has approved the Commission's proposal on accountability #pcpm
The other abuse survivor who sits on the committee, Peter Saunders, also expressed his satisfaction after previously criticising the Vatican’s record as “abysmal”.