Pope Francis summons bishops to Vatican for summit on preventing sex abuse

[sandensea]

Pope Francis, signaling the Catholic Church's inability to defuse long-running clergy sex scandals, on Wednesday summoned the presidents of Catholic bishops conferences worldwide to the Vatican in February to discuss protecting children and preventing sexual abuse by priests.

The meeting, on February 21-24, is believed to be the first of its kind and comes amid growing criticism over the pope's handling of sex abuse cases dating back decades.

In addition, Pope Francis will meet Thursday with a group of U.S. church figures led by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The meeting will include Francis' top sex abuse adviser, Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

DiNardo has said he wants Francis to authorize a full-fledged Vatican investigation into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was removed as cardinal in July after a credible accusation that he groped a teenager. McCarrick, 88, served as Archbishop of Washington from 2001 to 2006.

At: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pope-francis-summons-bishops-to-vatican-for-summit-on-preventing-sex-abuse/ar-BBNdU4v

Making a point as he discusses church problems, Francis' handling of the inherited abuse scandal is drawing mixed reactions.

[matt819]

1. Some suggestions from someone who is not Catholic

Step 1: When someone in the church learns that a priest is being or has been accused of any sort of abuse, that someone in the church calls the police. Not someone higher in the church. Not another priest. Not a monsignor or a bishop or archbishop or someone else in the hierarchy. They call the police and report the abuse.

Step 2: After the police are called, the person accused of the abuse is removed from his position until the police investigation is concluded.

Step 3a: If the accused is tried for the alleged crime and convicted. Regardless of the sentence, that person is removed from his position and excommunicated.

Step 3b: If the accused is tried and found not guilty, that person is removed from his position for one year - retreat, counseling, whatever - and returned to his position, with the approval of the regional archbishop. This approval cannot be delegated to anyone junior to the archbishop.

Step 3c: If there is insufficient grounds for a trial, the accused is removed from his position for three years - retreat, counseling, whatever - and returned to his position if deemed appropriate by the regional archbishop. This approval cannot be delegated to anyone junior to the archbishop.

Maybe these steps should be modified a bit depending on location. But in the US, sexual abuse is a crime and should be addressed first, but not exclusively, by the civil authorities. Internal actions are secondary, but no less important - thus the suggestions for internal responses.

Folks, this is not difficult. Sexual assault is bad. Sexual assault cover-up is bad. Doing the right thing, even if it took 2,000 years, should be pretty damned easy. If it isn't, then the church - or any religious organization - has no place in civil, or civilized, society.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

2. You're making WAYYYY too much sense... so, obviously, never going to happen.

[sandensea]

3. +1

Buenos consejos, Su Santidad.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

4. We have this crisis

So I'm calling a meeting about it to be held in six months.