The Catholic Church currently has “no mechanism to monitor” the implementation of safeguarding norms and protocols globally, according to Hans Zollner SJ, a papal adviser on child safeguarding and director of the Institute of Anthropology at the Gregorian University in Rome.
“More broadly, the norms adopted by Rome indicate the right direction, but we currently have no mechanism to monitor their implementation.
“In some countries, bishops have resigned following dysfunctions. In others, not.”
Interviewed by La Croix International, Fr Zollner goes on to ask:
“What happens when a bishop is guilty of not reporting sexual abuse to Rome? Who takes care of this? Who investigates it? Who is responsible for it in Rome? And with what consequences?”
In March 2023 Fr Zollner resigned from the Papal Commission for the Safeguarding of Minors, citing concerns about funding and lack of clarity regarding the relationship between the commission and the Vatican body that adjudicates on reports of sexual abuse from around the world, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF).
To read the complete La Croix interview with Hans Zollner SJ, click here.
0 Comments