Child Abuse Scandal Divides Catholics, Church

Jennifer Glasse | London 16 September 2010

Pope Benedict XVI addresses a crowd in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, Thursday Sept. 16, 2010 Photo: AP

Pope Benedict XVI addresses a crowd in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, 16 Sept. 2010.

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Britain for a four-day State visit, as the Catholic Church is reeling in the wake of Child abuse scandals in Europe and America.  Victims of abuse by priests are calling for the Vatican to do more to protect children.

Fresh wave of scandals

Pope Benedict states he is shocked by revelations of child abuse and called it difficult to comprehend how this perversion of the priestly ministry was possible.

Belgium’s Catholic Church revealed this month that hundreds of kids had been abused by Roman Catholic priests dating back 50 years.  The abuses took place in almost every diocese and Catholic school in Belgium.

The revelation of abuse is a latest in a series of scandals that has shaken the Catholic Church.  Barbara Blaine, with the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, states she was abused as a teenager by a priest in Toledo, in the U.S. say of Ohio.  She is in Britain calling for the church to do more about abuse.

“We are asking that the Pope and the Vatican establish a worldwide database with the names of all of the known and credibly accused predator priests,” Blaine said. “We believe that this names should be made public, so that kids can be protected this day and so that other victims who have been hurt will find healing and comfort.”

The Bishop of Westminster, John Arnold, states the church has strong procedures in place to combat abuse. “The Catholic Church in England and Wales and in Scotland has done a great deal in making a one-church approach to improve the situation and to introduce better practice regarding safeguarding,” he said.

Church response

The head of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission, Bill Kilgallon, is in charge of responding to charges of abuse by clergy and others affiliated with the church. “We are very strongly of the view in this country that the statutory authorities have to be involved from the beginning so that there is not any opportunity for cover up,” Kilgallon states.

Kilgallon does believe the church needs to respond better to victims of abuse. “I think our main area that we need to do better on in the Church of England and Wales is the way we deal with people who have been abused,” he said.

No longer silenced

The founder of Britain’s National Association for People Abused in Childhood, Peter Saunders, states he was abused by a Catholic priest as a child just a couple of kilometers from the London suburb where Pope Benedict will be staying.  He states the church continues to shroud abuse in secrecy. “They do not want adult survivors speaking about it,” he says, “because it shines a spotlight on their murky disgusting abusive world.”

The pope is expected to meet privately with survivors of child abuse during his visit to Britain, but not with the main protest groups.   

Listen  Email  Print  Comments  Comments (3) 16-09-2010 david clohessy (USA)

Saunders is right. The church hierarchy still wants secrecy. David Clohessy, Director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, (7234 Arsenal Street, St. Louis MO 63143), 314 566 9790 cell (SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

16-09-2010 JohnBS1 (Australia)

The following gives a present day view and understanding of the experience of survivors of clergy abuse and the continuing cover up. http://www.molestedcatholics.com/Not-in-my-lifetime Be shocked by the global estimates of the numbers of those sexually abused by Catholic clergy. http://www.molestedcatholics.com/Estimating-the-numbers-usa-diocese.php#stats

16-09-2010 unabletotrust (USA)

The ‘ pope and his minions are always ‘sad and shocked to learn of the sexual abuse commited on children. He should be arrested and tried along the the enablers for crimes against hunanity. Further more the queen should refuse to meet with the pope as this adds insult to injury. Let the pope pay for his own visit he is no ‘saint’ or holy man he is a ‘criminal’ !! What a disgrace !!!

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