Victims of clergy sex abuse feel ‘vindicated’ after Vatican talks | – #Victims #clergy #sex #abuse #feel #vindicated #Vatican #talks
VATICAN CITY, March 23 (Reuters) – Britain and Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse survivors from Ireland said Thursday that they have finally been vindicated after “transformative” meetings with Pope Francis and leaders of the Comboni Missionary Order.
Survivors to become missionary priests at Comboni Seminary in North Yorkshire, England in the 1960s and 1970s education they were abused as teenagers.
In 2014, Comboni settled a civil lawsuit brought by 11 former students, but did not admit liability. The management of the order questioned the accounts of the victims and refused to meet with them.
Survivors said that position changed after a group held talks in Rome with Comboni and senior figures in the English Catholic church and a 45-minute Vatican audience with the Pope.
“We feel that the Comboni management not only heard us, but also believed us, which brought us a sense of calm. It was a transformative experience for us, which justified our search for justice and dialogue,” the victims said.
In a joint statement with the survivors’ group, the Comboni Missionaries apologized for past abuses, said they were “truly sorry for the times we did not respond adequately” and asked for “again forgiveness.”
Clergy sexual abuse and cover-up scandals have been around 1.38 for decades billion undermined the Roman Catholic Church of which it is a member, lowered its moral authority, damaged membership and coffers.
Like the Pope 10 Over the years, Francis has introduced numerous reforms against sexual abuse and cover-ups, and in an interview with Reuters last year, he said progress on the issue was “irreversible” despite some resistance.
Bede Mullen, a spokesman for the Comboni Survivors Group, said the pope helped the cause by mediating directly with the head of the Comboni Missionaries after first meeting the victims in June 2022.
“Francis’ presence was very important,” Mullen told Reuters. “Without his intervention, we would not have made the progress we have,” he said.
Reporting by Alvise Armellini Editing by David Gregorio
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2023-03-24 06:06:54
Source – reuters
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