Δημοσιεύθηκε στις 5 Φεβ 2014
Many of the Catholics attending the pope's weekly audience at the Vatican agree with a hard-hitting U.N. report on children's rights demanding the immediate removal of clergy who are known or suspected child sex abusers.
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Dark clouds hung over the Vatican on Wednesday as the United Nations published a scathing report blaming the Catholic Church for not doing enough to prevent abuse against children.
Pope Francis was in St. Peter's square on Wednesday greeting crowds ahead of his weekly general audience. He called on children during his speech to pilgrims, to make sure they worked hard to prepare themselves for their first communion.
"It is important that children prepare themselves well for their first communion and all children do this because it is the first strong, strong step towards Jesus Christ after baptism," the pope said.
In the unprecedented report the United Nations demanded the Vatican "immediately remove" all clergy who are known or suspected child abusers and turn them over to civil authorities.
The U.N. watchdog for children's rights said the Holy See should also hand over its archives on sexual abuse of tens of thousands of children so that culprits, as well as "those who concealed their crimes", could be held accountable.
The watchdog's exceptionally blunt paper - the most far-reaching critique of the Church hierarchy by the world body - followed its public grilling of Vatican officials last month.
Several of the Catholics attending the general audience said they supported the UN's demands and approved of the hard-hitting tone of the report saying abusing priests should be brought to justice.
"I would say three things (to abusing priests) first thing I would look them deep in the eye and try to figure out how it comes to do such disgusting things" said Lucas Christiansen from Switzerland.
"Point two, they should of course be put on trial and three - and that is the most difficult and the most Christian part - to find a constructive way to develop their minds. Of course you can punish them and send them to jail but that wouldn't help in a Christian way so that is the most difficult part, to forgive them" he said.
"What should we do with priests who are accused of abusing children?" asked a teenage girl to her friends.
"Excommunication, excommunication, kick them out, absolutely. No one should touch children; well no one should touch anyone, but children above all," they said.
The Vatican was expected to issue a statement on the report later on Wednesday.
Full Story:
Dark clouds hung over the Vatican on Wednesday as the United Nations published a scathing report blaming the Catholic Church for not doing enough to prevent abuse against children.
Pope Francis was in St. Peter's square on Wednesday greeting crowds ahead of his weekly general audience. He called on children during his speech to pilgrims, to make sure they worked hard to prepare themselves for their first communion.
"It is important that children prepare themselves well for their first communion and all children do this because it is the first strong, strong step towards Jesus Christ after baptism," the pope said.
In the unprecedented report the United Nations demanded the Vatican "immediately remove" all clergy who are known or suspected child abusers and turn them over to civil authorities.
The U.N. watchdog for children's rights said the Holy See should also hand over its archives on sexual abuse of tens of thousands of children so that culprits, as well as "those who concealed their crimes", could be held accountable.
The watchdog's exceptionally blunt paper - the most far-reaching critique of the Church hierarchy by the world body - followed its public grilling of Vatican officials last month.
Several of the Catholics attending the general audience said they supported the UN's demands and approved of the hard-hitting tone of the report saying abusing priests should be brought to justice.
"I would say three things (to abusing priests) first thing I would look them deep in the eye and try to figure out how it comes to do such disgusting things" said Lucas Christiansen from Switzerland.
"Point two, they should of course be put on trial and three - and that is the most difficult and the most Christian part - to find a constructive way to develop their minds. Of course you can punish them and send them to jail but that wouldn't help in a Christian way so that is the most difficult part, to forgive them" he said.
"What should we do with priests who are accused of abusing children?" asked a teenage girl to her friends.
"Excommunication, excommunication, kick them out, absolutely. No one should touch children; well no one should touch anyone, but children above all," they said.
The Vatican was expected to issue a statement on the report later on Wednesday.
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