In order to treat accusations against priest of sexual abuse thoroughly, cases should be turned over to the civil justice system, not just to church authorities, said the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy. Cardinal Claudio Hummes said instances of sexual abuse by priests are “extremely serious and are criminal facts that the church can never tolerate in any way.... One must resolutely pursue [the case] to the very end by also turning to ordinary justice,” he said on Jan. 13. The cardinal was one of several top Vatican officials who attended a lengthy meeting on Dec. 11 with Pope Benedict XVI and Irish church leaders to discuss revelations about sexual abuse by clergy in Ireland. Cardinal Hummes said that what happened in Ireland was “a very painful fact, which certainly hits first and foremost the victims, but it also deeply hurts the heart of the church.”
Vatican: Take Abuse Cases to Civilian Courts
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
An interview on economics and Catholic social teaching with Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize winning economist and a professor at Columbia University.
Lesson one: I had to buy more stamps.
Celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea should give new energy to evangelization efforts, a new document from the International Theological Commission says.
In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell walk us through the pontiff’s recovery, including “slight improvements” in his speech.