Boston Cardinal says Pope Francis' comment about controversial Chilean Bishop is 'source of great pain' for clerical sexual abuse survivors
Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley of Boston disagrees with the Pope after he defended a Chilean Bishop accused of committing sexual abuse. O'Malley stated Pope Francis' comment on the controversial Bishop "is a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse."
On Jan. 18, Pope Francis told a Chilean reporter that the allegations against Bishop Juan Barros are "all calumny." The 266th Pope of the Catholic Church told the reporter, "the day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I'll speak. There is not one shred of proof against him. It's all calumny."
O'Malley, who is serving as Chairman of the Vatican's Commission on Sexual Abuse described Pope Francis' comment as "a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy or any other perpetrator." The Cardinal continued with, "Words that convey the message 'if you cannot prove your claims then you will not be believed' abandon those who have suffered reprehensible criminal violations of their human dignity and relegate survivors to discredited exile."
O'Malley also said that he is baffled by the choice of words the Holy Father uttered during the interview. He then recognized the Pope's unending support for the victims of clergy sexual abuse and their family. "What I do know, however, is that Pope Francis fully recognizes the egregious failures of the Church and it's clergy who abused children and the devastating impact those crimes have had on survivors and their loved ones."
The Papal has not addressed O'Malley's remarks prior to his controversial comment. O'Malley is not the only member of the church who is disappointed in the Pope's comment. A former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and is also a victim of clerical sexual abuse, Peter Saunders, agrees with O'Malley. But Saunders did not just rally behind O'Malley, he also said that the Boston Bishop would be a better Pope than the current Pope. Saunders told Cruxnow, "Deep down I think O'Malley would like to take action, and if he were pope I think we would be seeing a different world."
