Vatican Sexual Abuse Panel-What Happened to It? What Are Their Findings?

Panel for Vatican Accountability Protocols is a successful move for the Vatican. But not so much for children. For children’s safety, this is another setback … because it will help foster the false impression of reform and will lead to more complacency. Does the church hierarchy really need a panel on the protection of minors? Why doesn’t it have zero tolerance for child sexual and physical abuse? Does the Church need more statistics, more evidence, more brave victims coming forward to show them the light– the ravages it has perpetrated upon its flock of children? Would Jesus need a panel? The church needs to follow the law on abuse. And it needs to fight for, not against, real reforms such as eliminating statute of limitations on child sexual abuse. “ What a sanitized word: “Protection of Minors.” Isn’t that part of Church theology and dicta to protect minors? Francis criminalized sexual abuse of children at least 2 years ago but still, it seems that The Roman Catholic Church has failed to recognize and take action to protect children from the worldwide clergy sexual abuse. Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley agrees and said at a press conference “Many don’t see it as a problem of the universal church,” said O’Malley, who heads the Vatican’s commission for the protection of minors. Do we really need yet another commission who, best case scenario, uncovers important facts and does their due diligence, only to have their findings buried, burned or ignored, or worst case scenario, does nothing but serves only to pacify the public into thinking the Catholic Church is actually taking action, when in fact, they are not, nor have they ever. How many more facts, cases, victims, and children do we need to find, to realize the Catholic Church is a pedophilia institution by history and archetypical power structure. The committee for “accountability protocols” consists of Irish abuse victim and campaigner Marie Collins and two psychiatrists. The committee is expected to expand to represent every continent around the world. Let’s hope so. Will this panel be capable of dealing with the worldwide physical and sexual torture of helpless children at the hands of priest-predators, in the name of God? O’Malley said, “In many people’s minds, it is an American problem, an Irish problem or a German problem. The Church has to face it is everywhere in the world. There is so much denial. The church has to respond to make the church safe for children.” O’Malley knows, his Boston Archdiocese was at the center of sex scandals more than a decade ago. Pope Francis knows too. How could he not? How could any Catholic not “know” the ravages of child sexual abuse among its’ ranks. Francis brought the Vatican up to speed when it came to laws regarding sexual abuse in children. The Pope finally laid down a law that makes it a crime to abuse children sexually or physically on Vatican grounds. These crimes are punishable by up to 12 years in prison. Why hasn’t the Vatican announced zero tolerance for child sexual abuse? Why didn’t Pope Francis’ law making it a crime to abuse a child sexually or physically on Vatican grounds apply to worldwide Catholic Church grounds, or property? Why hasn’t the Catholic Church changed Canon Law criminalizing the sexual abuse of children? At least Canon Law would affect the Catholic Church and how it operates, what is legal and what is illegal, worldwide. Does this mean, that only at the Vatican, child sexual abuse is a crime? But Catholic Church dioceses are free to sexually abuse at will as they have been doing? Advocates for child victims of priest sexual abuse filed a petition approximately a year ago, at the World Court, The Hague, against the Catholic Church for ”Crimes Against Humanity” for the sexual abuse of children. Is it possible, that the Pope took this much needed, long awaited, yet still applauded action, for fear of the World Court finding the Catholic Church guilty of crimes against humanity and thus the Church and the Catholic hierarchy be tried and charged as war criminals? It is this author’s opinion, that that is indeed, what should transpire. The Catholic Church worldwide should be charged for crimes against humanity for the sexual abuse of children. The Church has done more than turn a blind eye.They have essentially been part of a institutionalized child sex trafficking ring in the name of God. They have condoned such behavior, committed such behavior, and rewarded such behavior. “It’s an institutional ‘perk’ of the job,” one priest confided confidentially. “It’s one of the reasons young men became priest, said my source. “Unfettered access to children, trusting parents, opportunity, excitement, grooming, and then pleasure, power, payoff.” He continued, “You could preach on Sunday, fine dine at the home of trusting reverent parishioners, and then have their children for dessert.” And for all of the survivors of these “vessels of God” who have tattooed you with the handprint of child sexual and spiritual abuse at the deepest soul, most dehumanizing level, I support you. It was not your fault. You were innocent children handed over to wolf predators disguised in God’s cloth. I applaud you, I respect you, I am of you and am like you. These lives, like my own, that has been forever burnished with the branding rod of child sexual abuse. The burn, never removed, only fading and scarred over. The brand that made us who we are today. The one that marks our life and our identity. The mark we learn to overcome, show without shame, speak out, be brave, and show courage in the face of such victimization, war-crime victims finding our voice. You are my heroes. You survivors. Great men and women of valor and courage, to endure what you have endured and to become who you are today. Your greatness and valor shining through and lighting up the world. Bravo to you, my sisters and brother.