On January 31, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child finished its 65th Session after adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on six nations, including the Holy See. (
Press release.) As reported yesterday by
CNN, the Committee's Concluding Observations on the Second Periodic Report of the Holy See (
full text) harshly criticized the Vatican's handling of child sexual abuse within the Church. The 16-page report says in part:
The Committee is particularly concerned that in dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse, the Holy See has consistently placed the preservation of the reputation of the Church and the protection of the perpetrators above children’s best interests, as observed by several national commissions of inquiry....
The Committee is concerned about the situation of children born of Catholic priests, who, in many cases, are not aware of the identity of their fathers. The Committee is also concerned that the mothers may obtain a plan for regular payment from the Church until the child is financially independent only if they sign a confidentiality agreement not to disclose any information....
The Committee is particularly concerned that: ... Due to a code of silence imposed on all members of the clergy under penalty of excommunication, cases of child sexual abuse have hardly ever been reported to the law enforcement authorities....; Reporting to national law enforcement authorities has never been made compulsory..... Church authorities, including at the highest levels of the Holy See have shown reluctance and in some instances, refused to cooperate with judicial authorities and national commissions of inquiry.... Limited efforts have been made to empower children enrolled in Catholic schools and institutions to protect themselves from sexual abuse.
(See
prior related posting.) A
Vatican Radio interview with Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, and a
statement from the Vatican react to the report. Both of these reactions include expressions of concern apparently directed to the U.N. report's call for the Vatican to review its position on abortion and identify circumstances under which it can be permitted.
