Concerns continue to be raised by Catholic laity that the Vatican Summit on the sex abuse crisis happening next month will fall short of solving the problem.
Faithful Catholics — many of whom have been personally impacted by the current sex abuse crisis in the Church — took to social media last week to express renewed concerns on how the Church is addressing it. Reports of “dismay, distress and disappointment” were just some of the reactions posted almost immediately after the Holy See Press Office released their statement on the focus of the Feb. 21-24 meeting, where presidents of the world’s nearly 130 bishops’ conferences will gather with Pope Francis to discuss clerical sex abuse.
One such Catholic, Siobhan O’Connor—known for her role as reluctant “Whistleblower” in the cases of cover-up and suppression of abuse by Bishop Richard Malone, of the diocese of Buffalo, NY—sat down with LifeSite for an exclusive interview.
O’Connor says the Vatican’s talking points filled her with “immense disappointment and dismay.”
“First of all, it distresses me greatly that the meeting topic is solely focused on ‘the protection of minors.’ While I certainly want all minors to be protected, I find this limited scope unacceptable,” she said.
“This meeting must address the abuse of any of God’s children regardless of their age. Another concern is that the meeting will be an exclusively pastoral gathering. This means they are avoiding and excluding input from many important groups: survivors, lay men and women, psychologists, experts in abuse detection, prevention & treatment, and members of law enforcement,” she added.
Read the rest at Life Site News
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