Pope Francis' clerical sex abuse panel will continue its work without the abuse victims previously appointed to assist the Church in its handling of the scandal.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors previously included abuse survivors Marie Collins and Peter Saunders.
Saunders, a vocal critic of the Church's handling of the crisis, was informally dismissed from the panel a year ago. Collins resigned this month, accusing the Catholic Church of 'shameful' resistance to combatting clerical sex abuse.
The Commission, set up by Pope Francis in 2013, said in a statement on Sunday that it still valued the role of abuse survivors, according to RNS. It said: 'Commission members have unanimously agreed to find new ways to ensure its work is shaped and informed with and by victims/survivors.'
The statement also expressed 'strong support' for Collins and 'her continuing work to promote healing for victims of abuse and the prevention of all abuse of minors and vulnerable adults'.
Collins, who was sexually abused by a priest at age 13, cited opposition to reform from the Vatican's doctrinal office as the cause of her resignation on March 1.
'The work we want to do is to make children and young adults now and in future safer in the church environment from the horror of abuse,' said Collins.
'There are people in the Vatican who do not want to change or understand the need to change.'
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the head of the commission, told Crux on Monday that the panel was still in good relations with Saunders and Collins, and was committed to 'zero tolerance' on abusive priests.
Asked whether the panel could include survivors again in the future, O'Malley said: 'We're grappling with that right now as a commission. Perhaps having survivors who were known as survivors was part of the reason they got so much attention.'
